An Evil Shade of Pink
by sweetgordon
Summary: COMPLETE.When Kimberly moves back to Angel Grove what happens when Lord Zedd and Rita create an evil Pink Ranger? Will Tommy be able to overcome his past and be able to save Kimberly with the help of the Dino Rangers and a few old friends?
1. Default Chapter

She could see it like it had just happened yesterday. The one man she had loved more than she could ever love another human being was staring death in the face, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. In fact she had been the one to instigate it. Only seconds before he was a hero riding into battle in a shinning suit of red armor. But, she easily ignored his greatness, not by choice of course. It was however out of her control.

There he hung; the only thing saving him from defeat was his best friend, who was evil's pawn. He was not trying to save him; instead he was struggling with all of his might to destroy him. This excited her and brought a smile to her face. "Into the fire. Into the fire. Into the fire..." was all she could think and say. "Noooo! Stop! Please wait! Tommmmyyy........"

Kimberly Hart had once again forced herself awake to avoid reliving the most horrible experience of her life. As she sat up it became very obvious to her that she had been sweating for quite some time. Her pink satin pajamas were drenched, her pillow was moist, and her soft auburn hair was so damp she could have sworn she had just gotten out of the shower.

It did not take her eyes long to adjust because it was pitch dark around her and all she could see was the electric green light of the dreaded numbers on her alarm clock, 4:55. She groaned knowing she had only five minutes to recover before her day was set to begin. She felt like she had not gotten a minute of rest since she turned off the lights the night before, yet she had been in a deep sleep for nearly seven hours. As she lay back down on the soft but wet pillow she wanted to cry.

Why had this dream come back to her? Why hasn't she been able to get just one good night's sleep since she picked up her bags and moved back to Angel Grove? And why did it have to be that particular nightmare that kept haunting her? Actually she knew why she just had no idea how to fix it, other than ignoring it. But, it was too hard now; it had been with her for too long.

She had known when she left the team that she wasn't just living out a lifelong dream; she was abandoning her very best friends as well. She rationalized it by telling herself that Katherine would be an even better ranger than she ever was and before long her friends would realize that it was all for the best. But she knew that was not true. Kimberly Hart had contributed more to the team than Zordon could have ever hoped for. With Kimberly as the Pink Ranger a battle was never lost for good and a ranger was never left behind.

But, when the Rangers lost their powers because of Master Vile Kimberly could not help but feel guilty. She knew that if she had been there she could have done something to prevent it, or at least she could have tried. Even though they did recover their powers in the form of the Zeo Crystals things were not the same, and never would be. It was because of this that Aisha stayed in Africa. And it was because of this that Billy met the Aquestrian Rangers and eventually came to reside on Aquitar.

Although, some good did result from the changes. For starters Jason rejoined the team and even though it was just for a little while everyone was so happy. And, the evil wrath of Lord Zedd and his horrible wife Rita Repulsa became a memory of the past.

But it was not just the unending guilt of knowing that she abandoned the team when they needed her most that would not allow Kimberly peace. Instead it was the even more torturous guilt of knowing that she not only left Tommy Oliver behind, but she also tossed him aside as if he had never really meant anything to her at all. When in fact he meant more to her than he could ever know as long as he lived.

Kimberly tried to remember what in the world she was thinking when she sent him the letter. The contents of it were so cold and impersonal, and the fact that she mailed it care of the Youth Center made even more hateful. She could not explain to anyone or to herself for that matter why she did what she did. So many times she wished she could have taken it all back and there was no comfort in knowing that at the time she truly believed she was doing it for Tommy's benefit.

She knew it was hard on him to be with out her and she also knew that it was only a matter of time before he realized it. Kimberly had fought dozens of Lord Zedd's monsters and battled in so many life threatening situations in the past, yet the most frightening thing that could ever happen to her was receiving the same letter from Tommy. Only she would know whom the girl was that he had fallen so hard for, Katherine Hillard.

She was a very beautiful girl and her exotic roots in Australia only made her more appealing. In addition, the fact that she was under the bad guys' control before joining the team just like Tommy did not help either. They had way too much in common; after all, Tommy was the first Ranger Katherine met when she moved to Angel Grove. Kimberly had seen the way Kat looked at Tommy so many times. Kimberly also knew that it was inevitable that he would some day in the near future return those looks to the new Pink Ranger.

At the time Kimberly truly believed breaking things off with Tommy was the best thing to do for him and the team. Without her distractions Tommy could be an even more effective leader for the team and he would be happy. But then why was she so miserable now?

Beep...beep...beep...the alarm clock startled Kimberly out of her thoughts and as much as it scared her she was thankful for it. In fact, she was more than happy to jump in the shower and begin another day of her brand new life in her favorite city in the entire universe, Angel Grove. Once Kimberly completed college and her two year internship at a local high school in Florida she never even stopped to consider where she was going to spend the rest of her life, because she had already known Angel Grove was the only place for her. So, she rented a U-haul trailer and jumped in her car and never once looked back the entire drive to California.

However, once she reached home she discovered that she was in for a great deal of disappointment because none of her friends were left in the small paradise. She had not really kept in touch with anyone except for Jason, who now resided in a small town upstate. He never much talked about the guys because he was afraid of slipping and mentioning Tommy. And, although Kimberly never said it Jason knew that she was living with a great deal of guilt on her shoulders, and the last thing he wanted to do was remind her of it.

She also kept in touch with Aisha by mail but all Aisha ever wrote about was her adventures in Africa. Kimberly didn't know if she had even kept in touch with anyone else from the gang. But the one person Kimberly was most interested in finding back home was Tommy. She knew he would not be there before she even left for Angel Grove.

She had seen the brand new team in charge of saving the world on the news, and the second she laid eyes on him there was no question in her mind at all that the Black Ranger was her Tommy Oliver. He was such a strong leader and she was brimming with pride as she watched him back in action. She knew he had to be the one leading the team because Zordon was gone and the only other person on this planet capable of finding a new power and saving the world was the former White Knight.

The Florida news broadcasted the goings on of the colorful heroes often and every time she saw it one name repeated over and over in her head all day, Reefside. And now that she was within hours of the seaside town she wouldn't dare show her face there. Even though she was desperate, not just to see Tommy, she was not nearly ready for that. But, she just wanted to see where he lived, and see what he saw everyday, and just be close to him even if she had no idea what street he lived on or where he went to work everyday.

Kimberly swung open the familiar doors of the Youth Center, the sun had not come up yet but it was time to get to work. Every morning Kimberly personally trained a young girl who was a student at Angel Grove High. She believed that this girl had a true talent when it came to gymnastics.

As Kimberly entered the juice bar a familiar face and a comforting voice greeted her.

"Good Morning pretty girl, can I make you my specialty energy smoothie to jumpstart your day?"

Kimberly giggled and she could not help but notice how grown up and just plain sweet Eugene Skullovich had become.

"Yeah, that would be heaven! How did you know that was exactly what I wanted?"

Skull smiled and blushed as he reached for a pink plastic cup.

"You know I make it a point to make sure the prettiest girl in Angel Grove is happy."

Kimberly couldn't help but let her face drop, she knew Skull meant well and she appreciated it but she just could not picture anyone else making her happy but Tommy. Skull noticed her change in emotion.

"What's the matter Kimberly? You look tired. You know what you need is a nice relaxing evening under the stars. Just picture it a picnic on the beach, soft mus..."

"Skull!"

Kimberly did not mean to sound so angry but she could not help it. Everyday it was the same thing, she was so happy to see him smile and to hear his voice and his laugh. It was just like old times and just like old times he had to go and ruin the moment by reminding her that she has other options yet she doesn't have the sense to take advantage of them.

Kimberly knew that she could be satisfied with Eugene Skullovich, maybe not happy but content with life. He had matured into a wonderful man that any girl would be lucky to have. He had so many good qualities. For one, he was an entrepreneur, he and Bulk had bought the Youth Center about a year ago and remodeled it back to its old self. They did just as good of a job with it as Ernie, if not better. They took a great deal of pride in the establishment and they seemed to get along really well with the high school students. Kimberly couldn't even think of a time that she saw either one of them interact with a student and not make that student laugh or at least smile. Of course that was just the type of person Skull was.

It was funny, Skull still dressed in his own style, which had matured quite a bit, but somehow he had become very attractive in Kimberly's eyes. And it wasn't that she could not like him in that way, in fact she knew that if given the chance she could eventually fall in love with him. But, she just did not want to because it would not be fair to him or her and she just could not let her true love go. She preferred to just be good friends with Skull and spend the rest of her life miserable and dreaming about Tommy Oliver. The thought of it made her queasy.

Skull did not mean to upset Kimberly, but he could not help it if he was still madly in love with her. High school was so long ago yet he just never met another girl quite as special as Kimberly Hart. And when she moved back to Angel Grove it was like he was given a second chance at life. In fact, nobody knew this but Bulk, but he opened the Youth Center at 5:30 every morning just for Kimberly. Before she came back to town it did not open until at least 7:00. But, he knew he was just wasting his time. He also knew that even though he had no idea where in the world Tommy Oliver was, he was still the only man in Kimberly's heart. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out that Kimberly was hopelessly devoted to Tommy and would be for the rest of her life.

"I'm sorry Kimberly, I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that every morning you walk in here in your little pink shorts and your big beautiful smile and all I see is Kimberly Hart, captain of the cheerleading team, class president, and all around the cutest girl at Angel Grove High. I swear it Kimberly; it's as if I am transported back in time every morning at exactly 5:30 a.m. Oh and for the record, your still the cutest girl at Angel Grove High."

Kimberly could not help but smile.

"Thank you Skull. And, I'm not just saying this to be nice but, it is truly wonderful to be able to see you every morning too."

Just then Kimberly's student walked in looking determined and prepared for a work out. Skull handed Kimberly her smoothie.

"Well, looks like she's ready for battle."

"Thanks.


	2. The Attack

_I know I didn't put a disclaimer in the first chapter but I don't own any of the characters etc. Please keep in mind this story is a work in progress and many questions you may have will be answered in the upcoming chapters. And in case you did not notice this is supposed to take place in the present day. Thanks for reading._

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By the time 8:25 rolled around, Kimberly was dressed in her brand new pink skirt and a stylish white oxford shirt, and of course no outfit was complete without pink open toed heels. For a while after she left Angel Grove she had stopped wearing her signature color because it only connected her to her role as a Power Ranger, which made her sad. But when she returned home it only seemed appropriate that she adorn pink again.

Now at work, her hair was pulled up into a professional-looking ponytail and she had decided that because of her age and her sense of style if she wanted to be respected by her students and co-workers then she needed to wear glasses. It was funny for her to think that she spent so much money on a pair of designer glasses that did not even serve an optical use.

As she entered Angel Grove High School all the heads turned, mostly the boys'. She had already been a teacher at the high school for about three months, yet every time she entered a room all the eyes were still on her. Her first day there everyone thought she was a new student until they had her class. Soon all of the students came to find out that Ms. Hart was more than qualified for the job and she was damn good at it.

Kimberly rounded the corner and entered the main hallway, to her right she spotted her favorite spot on campus, her old locker. Every morning she acknowledged it and the same string of memories popped into her head. That was the spot where her and Tommy met, although he had stolen her heart long before that at Jason's karate tournament. That locker was also the spot where he met her nearly everyday after school to walk her home or to the Youth Center. It was also where Tommy and her had stolen kisses between class periods when the teachers were not looking. And now everyday started with those memories and everyday Kimberly's eyes became watery at the sight of it. She could have taken another route to her classroom yet somehow that spot comforted her, it assured her that it had all actually happened and it was not just some schoolgirl fantasy.

Kimberly crossed the threshold of her classroom as the first bell rang; she still had at least 3 minutes before her students began trickling in. She opened her planner to double-check her lesson plan, watercolor.

Kimberly was the new art teacher at Angel Grove High. It was luck that there happened to be an opening at the high school the week after she came into town, even though it was the middle of the semester. She pounced on the opportunity and because she had always been one of Mr. Capplain's favorite students of all time she was a shoe in. But, she had to admit it was really strange being Mrs. Applebee's co-worker and Mr. Capplain's employee. Bulk and Skull told her she was nuts. She loved it though, and the kids were so good to her. If only she had Tommy life would be perfect. Heck, if she had Tommy and was starving on the streets life would be perfect.

As the last bell of the day rang Kimberly was jerked out of a daydream. She did not mean to let her mind stray from her students but she could not help it. The art room always reminded her of the time Tommy's unsuccessful attempt at an art project resulted in another one of Zedd's poor excuses of a monster. Of course this memory only led to so many more.

"See ya' on Monday Ms. Hart," she heard one of her students say as they walked out the door. But she was in so much of a daze she never even noticed which student it was. She just replied with "Have a nice weekend."

By the time she finished cleaning and putting away all of the supplies her white shirt was a multitude of colors in a multitude of places. "Good job Kimberly," she muffled to herself, as she noticed that her brand new skirt remained spotless. "At least you don't look like a total slob."

The clock read 4:05 and Kimberly Hart was ready for her weekend, but then she cringed at the memory that she had promised Skull she would run the Youth Center for him until 9:00. As it turned out Bulk was out of town for a few days and Skull promised to pick him up at the airport. Kimberly knew that there was no way it was going to take Skull four and a half hours to go to the airport and back but she figured it would be rude of her to question his motives. Besides, at the time she did not mind doing it because it would give her a chance to catch up with the students that were not in one of her classes but frequented the Youth Center.

Now she wished she had never agreed to it. Her shirt looked like it belonged to a three- year old, her cute heels were not so cute anymore because she could barely feel her feet, and she was tired from the week, and uncountable hours of missed sleep. It was a good thing that she had not scheduled any gymnastics practices for this evening, she usually taught one class every afternoon.

Kimberly sat behind the juice bar on a stool, which she stole from the front of the counter. She knew Skull would not mind if she took it easy on the job as long as everyone was served. But, she was feeling better now that the apron she was required to wear covered up all the hideous stains on her shirt and she ditched her shoes the second she got behind the counter.

Not only that, there were only a few kids left in the Youth Center. It was Friday night and everyone was at the movies or the mall. The only kids remaining were three boys sparing on the practice floor, and two girls drinking sodas and giggling at each other's whispers. As she watched them a smile was permanently plastered on her face. If she closed her eyes she was sure that when she opened them Jason, Zack, and Tommy would be standing there instead. But with every blink came disappointment.

As she sighed with disapproval of herself she heard the familiar sound of two voices bickering about something stupid, and she knew she was a free woman. Bulk and Skull entered the room engaged in a heated argument about air traffic controllers. Kimberly giggled at the sight of them. Once those two got together it was as if they had never graduated from high school.

"Well my dear, your services are greatly appreciated but I think we can relieve you from here," said Bulk.

"Thanks guys. I can't wait to get home and take a nice long bubble bath, and hopefully have a relaxing night. That is if I can find the energy to walk home in these ridiculous things," replied Kimberly as she shoved her foot into her worn shoe.

Bulk whispered something to Skull and he smiled like it was Christmas morning. "Hey, you know if you'd like I can drive you home. It's no problem, really."

"Yeah Kimberly, I don't mind closing this place up by myself. I have been gone for three days, it's time I take my turn," replied Bulk.

Kimberly thought about it for a second, it sounded so tempting and she was so beat. But, she knew that if she accepted the evening would end with her crushing Skull's hopes again and then she would be feeling guilty the entire weekend. 'No thank you', she thought. She did not need that kind of baggage when she could hardly survive as it was.

"Gee Skull that's so sweet of you to offer but I really was exaggerating. My feet don't hurt that bad, and besides with the two of you closing up you'll get out of here in no time. And I know how much you two look forward to going down to the bowling alley every Friday night. I'll be fine walking."

Skull looked so disappointed, Kimberly felt like she had just told a child that Christmas was not coming this year. But she had to stand firm or else the consequences would be worse.

"Okay, if that's what you prefer. But please be careful. I know that Angel Grove hasn't had much excitement since we were in high school but you never know."

He was so sweet to care so much about her but before Kimberly had a chance to change her mind she swallowed the shooting pain she felt in her feet and raced out of the room.

"Thanks, I'll be careful. Have a good time tonight."

Because it was already dark, and because Kimberly had no choice but to carry her shoes or risk losing her feet, she decided the best move would be to cut through the park. It was a nice evening, the perfect temperature to be out side. Kimberly took a deep breath and exhaled with happiness. She was home again and even though she had stirred up so many bad memories she felt safe.

She smiled to herself at the thought of returning to her home. Which, coincidentally happened to be the same house she shared with her mother and her brother all of those years ago. She could not believe her luck when she drove into town, and turned down Rose Avenue to find 256 with a 'For Sale' sign in the front yard. She really could not afford the white two-story house with pink trim and shutters yet, but she just had to have it. So she fought and fought with the bank until they agreed to give her a loan. And even though it would take her an eternity to pay the house off at her salary it was worth it.

As she strolled along passed the playground she felt a raindrop hit the tip of her nose. "Perfect!!!!!!!" She yelled as the down poor began. The rain was so loud and it made it even harder to see where she was going. So many times she had walked that route from the Youth Center to her house, but all of a sudden it was as if she had never set foot on that ground before. As Kimberly looked from side to side she had absolutely no idea where she was or in which direction her house or the Youth Center was.

'It's okay Kimberly, you can just stand here and wait it out. I'm sure it will clear up in a few minutes and you'll be fine,' she thought to herself.

But for some reason she wanted nothing more at that moment than to take off running in a screaming fit, she was scared out of her mind and she had no idea why. She just had this very unsettling feeling, so she took off in the first direction she turned. But, it did not take long for her to come to a halt. This was because her left shoulder hit a very hard structure with such force that she yelled out in pain with a high pitched scream, which would have been heard all the way back at the youth center, had it not been for the pounding rain. She nearly passed out from the zap and decided that it was by far the most painful thing she had ever experienced.

As she lay on the mushy ground drenched in rainwater and freezing in excruciating pain tears fell from her eyes. Just then the first bolt of lightening struck the lake and its glow was so bright it was very clear to her that she had not ran her shoulder into a tree like she had assumed. She had instead been intentionally hit by something she had prayed she would never see again. And, as the second bolt hit, her fears were confirmed, there standing before her was an unnaturally tall figure with glowing red eyes and sharp monstrous fangs. The light reflected off him like flames on water, and the reflection was almost blinding.

Kimberly scrambled to get to her feet but her left arm was useless and the mud was too slippery. She tried to scream but she did not hear anything escape her mouth. Kimberly did not know if it was because of the loud thumping rain or because her voice was scared into submission. By the time she realized what was going on Kimberly Hart was in the death grip of one of the most evil creatures ever in existence, Goldar.

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_Hopefully I will have the third chapter up in the next couple of days. You can expect Kimberly's encounter with Lord Zedd and Rita as well as an explanation for their return. I would appreciate reviews. Thanks._


	3. Worst Nightmare Come True

_First, I would like to thank all of you for your reviews, they were pretty helpful. I hope you like the next chapter. Also, I do not own the Power Rangers, etc. Enjoy._

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"Kimberly Hart will be sorry she ever moved back to that wretched city when we get through with her. Ha, ha, ha. In fact she'll be sorry she ever met Zordon and joined his pathetic little team all those years ago."

"Yeah, Kimberly will cease to exist and in her place a new hero will be born. A hero that will bring destruction and misery to everything and everyone she ever loved."

At first when Kimberly heard those horrible voices she immediately assumed that she was once again in the middle of one of her typical nightmares and thought nothing of it. But, when she attempted to shift her position the shooting pain in her left shoulder reminded her that it had all actually happened. Goldar had shown up at the park and taken her down with one quick swing of his sword. And now she was deathly afraid to open her eyes because she had a very strong feeling that she would not like where she was about to find herself.

She prepared herself for the worst; Lord Zedd's lair on the moon, a dark dimension, or perhaps a secluded cave. Wrong, as she opened her eyes she discovered that she had never seen this location before. Of course it was dark, damp, and disgusting, but it was still not what she had expected. Above her she could see the stars. Below her she could feel the hard, cold marble floor penetrate through the fabric of her clothes and chill her skin like ice. At this point it became obvious to the former Pink Ranger that she was in fact lying down but she was not chained or bound in any way. Yet, she could not move.

Was she paralyzed by soreness or by the pain shooting through the left side of her body? Or was she frozen from fear? Most likely it was all of the above as well as the overall shock of realizing that the two most feared monsters known to mankind were alive and well. And it got worse; she was their prisoner.

Finally, Kimberly was able to raise her head slightly above the fog, which covered the floor. As soon as her head popped out of the clouds she wished with all her heart that she had never moved. Not only were her fears confirmed in the form of the muscled monster and his wicked wife, but the two of them immediately turned their attention to her.

"Good morning sunshine. Ha, ha, ha..." Lord Zedd laughed as Kimberly froze.

"What's the matter Kimmy, not feeling so good after your little run in with an old friend?"

Rita seemed to be enjoying herself very much, as was Goldar. But Kimberly realized it was against everything she had ever fought for to give them the satisfaction.

"Yeah, actually I was under the impression that I would never have to lay eyes on his ugly, beady eyed, stupid face ever again. So as you can imagine I am a bit disappointed."

Kimberly would have kept going, but the pain had traveled into her head and she was hit with an overpowering headache. But, she could not let the three beasts know. So she mustered up all the might she could and with the help of mostly her good arm she was up on her knees in no time. And from there she was able to make it on her bare feet. The chuckles from across the room only made her want try harder. Even though it was impossible to stand up straight, she did hold her head high.

"Impressive Miss has been, but if I were you I would not waste my energy on pride, it's a losing battle. You can forget about it! Because now you belong to me!"

The room erupted into an earthquake as Kimberly fought to maintain her balance, but Zedd was right, it was a losing battle. She ended up right back down on the floor with a hard thump, which now caused a fiery pain in her back. She sat up with the grace and determination she was known for back when she owned a power coin.

"No, you can forget it Lord nobody cares about you anymore. I don't belong to anyone but myself, and that is not about to change just because there's a full moon out an you decided that it was a good night to take over the Earth."

"But that's where your wrong you naïve, stupid little girl. You don't belong to your self and you never did since you became a Power Ranger."

"If you're implying that I was Zordon's little puppet then your wrong. I fought for him because I believed in him and I had more free will then your brand of evil will ever give you."

"That may be so, but I was not referring to Zordon when I said you belonged to somebody else."

"Oh yeah, then who were you talking about?"

"Why Tommy Oliver of course, or should I say Dr. Thomas Oliver. Boy, they must be desperate to give out those doctorates..."

Kimberly did not even hear the rest of what Lord Zedd had to say, she did not need to he had already hit where it hurt when he mentioned Tommy's name. She was not so much shocked at the realization that she did in fact belong to Tommy even though he did not want her. She was shocked at the realization that it had been so obvious that her life revolved around the memory and the hope of having Tommy again some day. Lord Zedd soon realized that this was going to be much, much easier than he had anticipated.

"I see I have found your weak spot without even really trying. You make this too easy for us Kimberly."

"Yeah," chimed in Rita, "if we'd a known it was going to be so simple we could have taken over the world months ago. Ha, ha, ha...."

Kimberly did not want to hear it. She attempted to cover her ears but her shoulder hurt to badly, it was no use. She felt as vulnerable as a bunny rabbit surrounded by coyotes. As the tears began streaming down her face uncontrollably, the room shook harder and the noise became louder. She was nothing more than a fool brought to them for their entertainment and it ate her up inside.

"You disappoint me Kimberly," snapped Zedd. "You know I chose you for a reason, and it was not just because I knew that you had a soft spot for your old sweetheart. No, I chose you because you always got my nerves boiling. Your determination, strength, loyalty, and ability were more than I could handle. Let's face it, everything else aside, you were the best girlie ranger ever to adorn the costume. Oh yeah, and I want to annihilate Tommy dear and I know you are the only one that can do it."

His words pierced Kimberly like an arrow. The very thought of contributing to Tommy's demise was unbearable. There was no way that she could ever hurt him again not after how badly she hurt him before. She would trade her own life before she ever agreed to help Zed destroy the man she loved.

"You forget who you're dealing with Zedd. I don't take orders from you, never have and never will."

"Oh no my dear, that is where you're wrong. You will take my orders and you will follow through with them." Zedd was beginning to get angry.

"Never. You must be utterly insane. I'll never do your evil bidding. In fact, I should not even be here right now. You were destroyed, Andros, he destroyed you. Zordon sacrificed his life to ensure you and your kind would never poison the world with evil again."

Kimberly remembered the day Jason had told her about how Zordon was gone and along with him evil was too. It should have been the happiest day of the Rangers' lives, yet it was the saddest. Kimberly had locked her self in her dorm room for days grieving for Zordon. It was not fair, how could Zedd and Rita be standing in front of her after all that?

"Well, you're half right. You see my dear, my darling wife and I, oh and the gold bum, are in fact still disgustingly nice, kind, and I hate to say it but caring beings. But the three monsters you see before you are as evil, underhanded, and malicious as they were when you met them."

"I don't understand. How can you be good and bad at the same time?"

"The same way you are going to be of course. You see, it was but a year ago that my wife and I were feeding ducks and ridding horses in a distant dimension. But, one day, much like yourself we were brutally kidnapped, came right out of the blue, didn't even expect it.

Turns out your honey's new villain Mesogog got a hold of some tape your crush made for his new pathetic team of losers, in case of an emergency. On the tape was the story of all of us, you included. Mesogog discovered that no other force has ever been such a challenge for the Power Rangers than Rita and me. So, it took him some time but with the help of his henchmen and some other errand boys, he was able to track us down. So, he did and he infused us with one little evil charge. That was all he needed because, well let's face it, we're evil at heart.

Naturally his original plan was control us and use us to destroy the Dino Rangers. But, you and I both know that we don't take orders from anybody. There was a short battle, but Mesogog's army was too weak to take us on. We disappeared for a while, I suppose Mesogog figured we were out of his hair for good. But, little did he know we were busy recreating our own army of goons, and strategizing the end of the world as you know it. We also rebuilt our new home. Allow me to introduce you to Serpentera II. He has all the functions of his predecessor, only he won't fail."

Kimberly did not want to believe what she was hearing. How could it be that the nightmare was about to begin all over again? She was terrified. Even with Tommy's incredible strength and skills there was just no way he could lead four teenagers to victory against Zedd's evil magic. The only being that could ever do that was Zordon, and he was gone forever. Suddenly Kimberly wished very badly that she had taken Skull up on his offer for that ride home.

"Pay attention you insignificant fool!"

Lord Zedd did not appreciate Kimberly's wandering thoughts, if he was going to make the most evil warrior ever created out of her then he was going to need her to hear all he had to say so that his spell would take total control of her. He needed her to feel helpless and alone, and most importantly, utterly devoted to the destruction of the Black Dino Ranger.

"If I'm so insignificant, then why do you need me so badly?"

Kimberly choked out the question frightened of the response.

"Because, as I explained before I need you to destroy the Black Ranger."

"But why me? I'm just a has been like you said before. How could I possibly even begin to take on a Ranger?"

"Well, I don't know if you know this or not but you have always been Tommy's weak spot. He always would have done anything for you, and something tells me that he still would. Nothing would hurt him more than having you annihilate him. In fact, I'm sure he'll give up long before that happens."

Kimberly did not actually believe what Zedd was telling her. There was just no way that Tommy would still care for her after all that happened and all the time that had passed by. But maybe if she agreed to help Zedd then he would not put her under a spell and she would be able to trick him and get away in enough time to warn Tommy of the dreaded couple's return.

"Okay, I'll do it. But, you have to promise me that you will only take away Tommy's powers and not hurt him."

Zedd was no dummy, he knew the girl was up to something. It was just too easy. He was not going to let her play him for a fool.

"You miserable, stupid girl! You must take me for a fool. I know your game, and I'm not falling for it, in fact I am insulted, you are going to pay for your ignorance. Goldar, cease the girl you know where to take her!"

"But wait, I agreed to help you, there is no reason why you have to manhandle me!"

"You're so cute when you're angry, you're also not very smart. Did you actually think I would give you a power coin without turning you evil first? Ha, you belong to me now!"

Goldar grabbed Kimberly by her hurt arm and it was painful but she resisted him. She soon regretted it as he tossed her against the wall with such force that she bounced off of it and landed on the floor. He then picked her up before she could gather her bearings. She kicked and screamed uncontrollably.

"Enough!"

Screamed Zed as he hurled a lightning bolt at her with his staff. She was out cold.

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_Please let me know what you think, I always appreciate feedback. Also, in the next chapter you can finally expect the arrival of the Evil Pink Ranger._


	4. An Evil Shade of Pink

_First of all, I would sincerely like to thanky everyone for reading my story, it is my first fic and I love getting feedback. Also, thanks for all of the positive reviews, you guys had a lot of great suggestions which I am trying to take into account. However, I am a little worried that a couple of you are taking this story a little too seriously. It is a fan fiction; the key word being **fiction**. It is just a story that I have thought up and wanted to write down. It is not real! And by the way the television show is not real either. So excuse me if it is not exactly what you wanted. It's always important to keep an open mind on Anyways, hope you enjoy!_

_Also, I do not own Power Rangers, etc._

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When Kimberly awoke she was very aware of what had happened to her before she was rendered unconscious. She was no longer angry and she did not feel like herself. It was hard to explain because she was still Kimberly Hart from Angel Grove, but she was also somebody different.

As she lay on the hard table she came to the realization that there was some sort of laser beam feeding its rays into her mind. She immediately sat up, noticing that her left-shoulder no longer hurt. But as she departed the table an awful siren began to blare all around her.

"Shut it off!" She screamed covering her ears; she had no idea who she was yelling to but she could not stand the sound. With one gigantic leap and powerful kick Kimberly disabled the mechanism which had created the laser as well as the noise. Just then in a mass of lightning bolts Lord Zedd once again appeared.

"Success!" He yelled in delight. "The transformation is complete! Welcome to the dark side my dear."

Kimberly smiled with an uncontrollable urge to destroy something else. Her eyes began to glow a dark shade of pink. She felt reborn and untouchable. Kimberly was no longer lost or confused about her past and she was definitely looking forward to her future.

"Thank you my lord. I appreciate all you have done form me. Before you I was nothing, and with you I am everything." She bowed in reverence.

She was not only thankful for her new found self-esteem but also her brand new powers. For Kimberly Hart stood in the middle of Lord Zedd's dark dimension cloaked in the most magnificent Power Ranger battle armor she had ever scene. It was comprised mostly of black material, but it was not spandex. Instead it was much thicker and much stronger. Like before, diamond shapes adorned her boots and her gloves, but this time the diamonds were a darker shade of pink. She also could not help but notice the remarkable shine of the gold trim on her boots, gloves, and belt. Another unexpected improvement sat upon her shoulders and protected her chest and back. It was a pink and gold shield similar to the Green Ranger's. In the center appeared a large stylized 'Z'. Looking down she noticed her morpher was also gold, but her coin was black with a pink pterodactyl in the middle occupying most of the space.

Resting in a black holster on her hip was an amazing weapon. It was the size of a blade blaster, only the gold, pink, and black tool looked as if it could do far more damage. But her favorite part was the flawless helmet, which protected her head. It resembled her old helmet with a few needed modifications; black replaced the white areas, her mouthpiece was gold, and the shapes were much more dimensional and powerful looking.

Kimberly was ready for battle and Lord Zedd knew it.

"Well, Pink Ranger it would appear that you are ready to take revenge on my behalf, and don't worry I will not stop you. But there are a few rules that you must obey if this is going to work."

"Yes Lord Zedd anything you say I will obey." Kimberly was becoming impatient but she knew that she was only awarded these powers to serve Zedd and any little mess up would cost her.

"First of all, you must not let anyone know your identity. Second, you will be allowed to resume your life in Angel Grove while occupying my powers. But, you must not let on that something has happened to you. If anyone suspects anything it could lead to your demise. And finally, your number one mission is to destroy the Power Rangers, the Black Ranger in particular. And it must be done at all costs. I don't care how you do it, as long as he is finished!"

Kimberly laughed in excitement, "Yes my Lord, by the time I'm done with those pathetic nothings it will be as if they never existed, and the Black Ranger won't even be a memory!"

A part of Kimberly deep down inside could not believe what she was hearing herself say. But another part, a more powerful part of her truly believed that Tommy Oliver deserved what was coming to him.

"Now go my Pink Ranger!"

"I will not let you down Lord Zedd."

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_Once again thank you for reading my fic and I apologize this chapter was so short. Hopefully chapter 5 will be up soon._


	5. Dr Thomas Oliver

_You guys are awesome! And I truly mean that because I absolutely adored your reviews. I personally thought the last chapter was the worst so far. Boy did you guys prove me wrong. Anyway, I'm really glad you all like the story so much and I'll keep trying my best to not disappoint. Also, I apologize but I do not have cable, therefore I must rely on my local station to provide me with Power Ranger entertainment, and they're terrible! So, I'm not sure if Dr. Oliver is de-morphed yet, but in my version he is. Thanks for understanding._

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It was one of the most beautiful days that Dr. Thomas Oliver had ever seen in Reefside, California. The sun was shinning, the sky was blue, and there was the sweetest breeze in the air. As he walked to Haley's Cyberspace he could not help but realize how wonderful his life really was. Sure, he was constantly susceptible to Mesogog's attacks, but that was just the way his life was.

He never saw it as burden though, not when he did it for Zordon and especially not now that he was doing it purely on his own accord. Instead, he looked at it as a challenge or a good deed. It was his calling and he was beginning to realize that it always would be. He chuckled to himself at the thought of being an eighty year old Power Ranger. He hoped it would never come to that and he was pretty sure that it would not. Especially not now with the amazing team he assembled to share the Dino Thunder powers.

Connor, Kira, Ethan, and Trent were truly a force to be reckoned with. Each ranger had a special ability and gift, which they contributed to the team. Together they proved to be unstoppable time and time again. Not only that, they were just all around great kids. They reminded him of the old team. Those were such good times and they did so many incredible things. To this day he could not believe he had traveled the universe and saved the world well over a hundred times.

But these times were not so bad either. He truly was lucky to get the job at Reefside High. Although he was firm with his students he was always fair, and he secretly was impressed by every single one of them. When he first came to Reefside the teacher gig was just a day job, a cover really, and a much easier way to find teenagers to recruit to save the world. But now, he loved his job and would not have his life any other way. Actually there was one other way he would rather have it, but it was impossible, so he reminded himself it was a waste of time to even think about it.

As his thoughts traveled back into the present he reached Haley's and opened the door surprised to find the place so packed. And it was even more amazing to think that all the kids were there to see Kira. She had just finished some brand new material and wanted to test it out on a few people. But, Connor, Ethan, and Trent being the good friends that they were surprised her by inviting everyone they knew as well as posting a few flyers around the high school and the city.

It did not take long for Dr. Oliver to spot the star of the show. He was so proud of Kira, not only for her Ranger skills, but also for her music. She had the most amazing voice and her talent for song writing just would not quit. When she first became the Yellow Ranger he was a little nervous about having only one girl on the team. It was something he had never experienced before and he was afraid she might feel left out or that she had something to prove. But Kira was up to the challenge and the boys never once took her for granted.

Kira smiled at her fearless leader from atop the stage. It always meant so much to her when Dr. Oliver took time out of his busy life to come and watch her perform. She always sounded better when he was in the audience because there was just something about him that made her want to try harder. She admired her Biology teacher very much; he was incredible. The man had amazing skills when it came to martial arts. He never much talked about his past but she knew that he had to have been some kind of martial arts champion back in the day. There was just no way that kind of talent could go unnoticed.

As the quiet teacher returned her greeting with a small wave a small tingle went through her body. Dr. Oliver was the most amazing person she had ever met and every morning when she woke up she thanked God that she was lucky enough to haven been chosen to save the world beside him. And as she struck up the first cord of her brand new song she knew that today was going to be special.

Dr. Oliver watched his protégé in awe it was almost as if he was in some kind of a trance. But suddenly the spell was lifted when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Connor, the leader of his Power team; that was whenever he was not in battle of course.

Connor was a truly astonishing kid and an even greater Power Ranger. Sure, the guy had his faults but who didn't? When Connor first got his Red Ranger powers and began to have doubts it really hurt Dr. Oliver. Not because he felt rejected but because he knew that he was changing these kids' lives in a way that would never allow them to go back to the life they knew before. Even though the power was not permanent, being a Power Ranger was. He was a living, breathing example of this. Being a Ranger stayed with you for the rest of your life and sometimes it was a tough pill to swallow.

But he was confident that Conner would be able to handle it. He was a bright boy he just did not always have the best common sense. However, when it came time for battle it was like Connor truly did morph into someone else. He took being the leader of the team very seriously. In fact, outside of being a Ranger Dr. Oliver began to notice a change in the tall soccer player. It was almost as if he had matured into a man over night. And not just any man, but an exceptional man.

Dr. Oliver was sure that the last time he saw so much promise in a Red Ranger it was in Jason Lee Scott, his best friend. And Jason was just as proud of his distant predecessor as Dr. O was. He remembered the day Jason called him up on the phone with the most outrageous sound of excitement in his voice. Jason had just seen the new team on the news and was blown away by Connor's abilities. He even thanked his best friend for continuing his legacy with such an incredible human being.

Now, as the teacher respectfully greeted his student with a small handshake he noticed that Connor was not alone. Nope, good old reliable Ethan was standing next to him. Dr. O shook his hand too and noticed the laptop under Ethan's left arm. Lately it seemed like the boy had grown another appendage in the form of the gray laptop. He could entertain himself for hours with that thing. But not with just video games, he also used his knowledge of technology to help the team.

He was a lot like Billy in many ways. But he was also so different from him too. He was a brain like the original Blue Ranger, but not nearly to the level Billy was. He made up for it with his overwhelming confidence though. It was strange because Ethan hung out with the 'geek' crowd at Reefside High yet he presented himself as if he were the king of the school. That was one of the reasons Dr. Oliver trusted him with the powers so much. Ethan was always optimistic that the team would win the fight.

And whenever Ethan was morphed he never once disappointed the Black Ranger. Even though he had no formal training in martial arts the kid was awesome. It was almost as if he was born to be the Blue Dino Thunder Ranger. Deep down inside Dr. Oliver believed this was true.

As the three guys stood watching the girl they all cared for more than any other girl in the world right now; they knew something was missing. Then, Dr. O spotted that something rushing into the café panting for air.

At first Dr. Oliver was extremely concerned. He thought that maybe the White Ranger had been attacked by another one of Mesogog's goons. But, when Trent stopped to wink at the singing beauty up onstage Dr. O knew that Trent was only panting out of fear that he might miss his girl's big day.

As Trent made his way over to the rest of the guys he gave them all a quick nod before taking his spot to the left of Dr. O. Dr. Oliver could not help but tease him. After all, his friends used to do it to him whenever he showed affection for Kimber- No, he promised himself he would not think about her, or that, or what happened. Luckily his recovery time was less than a split second.

Instead he chose to focus on the young man standing beside him. He had not chosen Trent to possess the White Dino Gem, but if had been given the power to he would have. The White Power had always been very special to Dr. Oliver, even sacred. This was not just because he was the first White Ranger to ever exist, but because he knew that the White Power was different from the rest. After being nearly every color of Ranger possible Dr. Thomas Oliver reached the conclusion that the White Power was somehow special. Not just anyone could posses these powers; it had to be the chosen one. And thankfully that chosen one was Trent Mercer.

Trent was a very strong young man. In fact he caused the Black Ranger to have many doubts about his team when he first came around; himself included. Honestly, Dr. Oliver was very worried that the evil White Ranger could quite possibly be the end for his team. But, luckily Trent was stronger than Mesogog's control and was very wise in choosing to use his powers in the name of good.

Now that the Rangers had Trent on their side there was no doubt in Dr. O's mind that good would prevail. Trent had impressed him time and time again. He was a truly remarkable person. And Dr. Oliver could not have picked a better White Ranger.

Now, standing with the three heroes Dr. O was positive that he had made the right decision for the first time in his life. When he first discovered the Dino Gems he had considered calling back some of the old team. There was no doubt in his mind that every one of them would have agreed to accept the responsibilities that came with the powers all over again. But he just could not do it. This was his fight and it had to be fought by his terms. He knew that it would not have been fair to once again disrupt their lives so permanently. They had all served so loyally that each one of them deserved a good life, free of evil.

Just as Dr. Oliver returned his attention back to the singing girl on stage he heard a familiar female voice whisper in his ear,

"Hello Dr. Oliver. Long time no see."

As he turned around a smile appeared across his face as he embraced the beautiful girl in a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you," responded the handsome doctor, "I didn't think I could go on much longer with out you."

"It was only two weeks," chuckled the woman.

"Yeah," he added, "But when the fate of the world is in your hands you can't go long with out the biggist brain of the entire operation."

As Haley pulled away from her dearest friend she stared deep into the dark abyss that was his beautiful brown eyes. The couple must have held each other for at least a few minutes before they were forced from each others arms with a loud shatter accompanied by large and small shards of glass and a disturbing piercing shrill from the Yellow Ranger.

Dr. Oliver's initial reaction was to grab Haley and take cover on the floor. The rest of the Rangers followed his lead as everyone else around them erupted into chaos. All of the kids were scurrying around so fast that Dr. O had no idea what was the cause of the commotion, but he was beginning to feel fear.

Soon, the room began to clear as the loud noise of the fire alarm burst into the room, caused by the opened fire exits. Before long the intrusion was in Dr. Oliver's view and he could not believe what stood before him.

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_Thanks again for reading, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Also, you can most likely not expect another chapter until next weekend. But, it will be exciting, so come back._

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	6. She's Back

_Here's the next chapter and please let me know what you think. I hope I didn't make Kimberly too evil. And, I don't own the Power Rangers, etc. Enjoy._

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As Kimberly Hart set foot on Earth once again she was no longer the evil Pink Ranger. Instead, she was the evil Kimberly Hart. These were two very different people with two very similar goals to seek revenge. The evil Pink Ranger sought revenge in the name of Lord Zedd while the pretty high school teacher sought revenge for herself, her fears, and her regrets.

Lucky for Kimberly Lord Zedd transported her to a hidden location behind some dumpsters in what appeared to be an alleyway.

'Why'd he send me here out of all the places...' she thought to herself in annoyance as she inhaled the smell of week old garbage that radiated around her. She knew that she should have come in uniform, but she did not want to attract attention. At least not before she pinpointed her target.

But as she turned the corner and scoped out the scenery she knew exactly why her master had chosen this spot. Walking towards her was a sight, which she had not seen in years, a sight that she thought she might never see again. It was Tommy Oliver.

At first she was taken aback by the surprise, but then she quickly became overwhelmed with a rush of memories. Memories of holding hands in the park, longing glances in the youth center, finding any reason to make physical contact even if it was just a pat on the back, and kisses that made everything else in life obsolete.

There, walking toward her was Tommy Oliver, her White Knight in shinning armor, and the man of her dreams. His face was exactly the same, just as handsome as it ever was, but with a goatee, which would not take long to get used to. His hair was short now, and immediately she missed the soft ponytail. His body was a little bigger than she remembered, but she was not complaining.

It was as if time had done no harm except in one very important feature, his eyes. They were not the same eyes that had followed her every move and understood her every thought, and that was not just because of the glasses. No, they were much harder now. It appeared that Tommy was no longer Tommy, and she missed that. But, she also could not help but fall hard for Dr. Thomas Oliver.

Before she could completely evaluate the situation she was forced back into the alleyway so quickly that she was sure he had not seen her when his gaze shifted from the sky to the building. As she leaned up against the wall holding her breath she was half expecting to hear him call her name. But instead she heard the door open in an eruption of voices and then close with the silence of the breeze.

Surprised by her utter lack of self-control and sappy, pathetic urge to fall into the Black Ranger's arms Kimberly sighed in frustration. She could not believe how quick she was to disregard her previous feelings at the mere sight of the man. Not only that, she was just inches away from betraying Lord Zedd, and those consequences were something that she did not even want to begin to think about.

Deciding that the coast was probably clear Kimberly once again stepped around the corner and crept past the door until she reached the large rectangular window. The whole way her mind was playing a relentless game of tug of war and neither side was winning. On the one hand she had her loyalties to Lord Zedd and herself. While on the other hand she could not at all remember why she had ever sought vengeance on Tommy Oliver to begin with.

She reluctantly reminded herself that this attraction was bound to happen and it was merely a representation of the weak little girl she was before Lord Zedd and Rita took her in. If anything this whole experience should be reminding her just how insignificant she was before her master was kind enough to bestow upon her the dark powers. Then why was she frantically searching for the tall handsome man in the window?

Never mind that right now, she had spotted him. Amongst the crowd she noticed the man in black in the center of the room in the back row. He was starring at the blond girl in yellow on the stage intently. She did not instinctly become jealous though, because it was obvious to her who the girl was, the Yellow Ranger. An evil smirk grew upon her face at thought of obliterating the girl all together. She relished in her evil thoughts; she was in control of herself now.

Just then two teenage boys approached the man and once again it became obvious to Kimberly that the boys were not just teenagers, they were Power Rangers. The very tall boy in red was quite handsome and very fashion conscious. A combination that would have normally driven the Pink Ranger wild. But not this time, instead all she could think about was taking a blade blaster to his pretty little face. Tommy shook hands with him and then acknowledged the boy in blue next to him. This kid did not intimidate Kimberly one bit. She laughed out loud at the mere thought of seeing the geek in action.

"Excuse me miss? Um, are you okay?"

The young male voice of a panting teenager brought Kimberly to her senses. She must have appeared to be a total psycho. She was crouching in front of a window of a public place with no shoes, disheveled hair, paint all over her shirt, and to top it all off she was laughing hysterically.

After her face changed back to its original color she turned to the young man. He was also handsome. In fact he was tall, dark, and handsome. He too was dressed very well in a white button up shirt and designer jeans. But Kimberly was no fool; she knew exactly whom she was dealing with.

As she turned around a fake but believable sincere smile grew across her face.

"Yes, um, I'm fine. I'm sorry," she continued with a sweet tone in her voice, "I must look pretty weird. I really am okay I'm just having one of those days."

Trent wanted to believe the beautiful young woman but there was just something very unsettling about her but he could not pinpoint exactly what it was. He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt though. If anybody knew anything about needing the benefit of the doubt it was Trent.

"You're sure?" he said with deep concern.

"Yes, of course. You're so sweet to be so concerned but I really am okay."

"Well, is there anything I can do for you? My friends are just inside, I could just go get them real quick and we could help-"

"No!" Kimberly interrupted with intense force. She did not mean to sound so insistent but she could not risk Tommy seeing her. "I mean, um, I'm fine. There's no need to bother anyone. In fact I was just leaving. It was nice meeting you um?"

"Trent." Responded the young man as he stuck out his hand for the pretty girl to shake.

Kimberly shook his hand politely and began walking in the other direction, "Well see ya." She yelled over her shoulder.

"Wait," called out the young man, "you didn't tell me your name."

Kimberly cursed the kid in her head, how annoying could he possibly be? She had to think fast, "Um, you can call me Ms. Har-Harper. Ms. Harper."

"Um, Okay Ms. Harper, be careful and it was nice meeting you too."

Trent finally went in the door as Kimberly was halfway across the street. 'It's about time, irritating little mutant.' She thought to herself. 'What does he care what my name is.'

Once she reached the window again it did not take her long to zero in on her target. She still could not believe she was here in Reefside and Tommy was only a window apart from her. As she began to let her sentimental feelings take control she was not prepared for what came next. Just then a woman with long curly burgundy hair stepped behind the Black Ranger and leaned in very close to him as she whispered something into his ear.

Kimberly began to feel her previous feelings evaporate as Tommy took the woman in his arms and embraced her tightly. Suddenly it became very clear to the Pink Ranger why she wanted vengeance on Dr. Oliver. He was just like Tommy Oliver, and he would hurt her the same way. It all began to come back to Kimberly.

That day, looking in the viewing globe she saw Katherine clutching his arm so tightly, her head tucked in his shoulder, and not an inch between them. Then she remembered the day they went to the beach. Katherine did not want to go, but when Tommy invited her it was as if there was no decision to be made. Yet, none of those memories compared to the incident when she was stuck in the hospital recovering from her dangerous fall off the balance beam. It was because of Katherine that Kimberly was so exhausted to begin with. She stole her power coin and was responsible for all of the complications. It was all Katherine's fault and Tommy was so quick to forgive her.

Kimberly's eyes grew red with the intensity of her building emotions, as the couple in front of her turned towards each other and gazed into the other's eyes. Tommy was the same Tommy now as he was all those years ago. He could not be trusted then and he could not be trusted now. He had to pay for the hurt he caused her and she was ready to make sure that he did, today.

"It's morphin' time!" She declared to the world as the pink shroud of evil engulfed her and shaped to her form resulting in the introduction of the evil Pink Ranger to the people of Reefside. She was going to enjoy this, and when she was done things would never be the same for the Black Ranger.

As she flipped through the glass window with a strong, piercing "Hiyaaa!" her eruption into the room startled the Yellow Ranger. The pathetic little girl looked like a deer in headlights. Her shrill was delightful. The rest of the room was no better or braver for it took only seconds for the screaming teenagers to evacuate the room. Once they were gone all that was left was the Power Team. Yet somehow they did not look so powerful. The yellow ranger froze, still on the stage, while that other three boys were shrunk on the floor, along with their leader and his silly little girlfriend.

Kimberly took great joy in the expression that seemed to be permanently tattooed on the Black Rangers face. He looked horrified and stunned at the same time. He began to shake his head and the words "No, no, no..." escaped his lips in a whisper over and over again. It was as if the other Rangers were helpless without his leadership. Before they could even gather their bearings the evil Pink Ranger was making her first move in the form of a roundhouse kick to the fallen Black Ranger's chest. He hardly saw it coming. In fact no one saw it coming. All they saw was their leader hit the ground with a devastating thump caused by his head hitting the floor. Haley shrieked out in horror as the evil beast in front of her exploded into laughter.

Connor and Trent lunged at the black and pink monster as Kira and Ethan hunted for weapons. But it was too late, she was gone with one quick blast of pink lightning it was over and they had failed the Black Ranger.

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_Chapter 7 will hopefully be up sometime next week. Please come back and don't forget to review this chapter. Thanks._


	7. The Battle

_Well, here is the next chapter. It seems no one thought I made Kimberly too mean in the last chapter so hopefully you don't mind her in this one. Also, I really, really, really appreciate all of your reviews. They're what motivates me to keep writing. I also get some good ideas from them and they provoke many ideas in my head. So keep reviewing! And please enjoy._

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"Who was that?" asked the normally calm and cool Yellow Ranger. She was in such utter disbelief of what she had just witnessed that she could not move a muscle, only speak.

"You mean, what was that?" replied the Red Ranger as he knelt down to assess the damage the pink monster had inflicted upon his leader.

It was silent for several moments as the four teens and the beautiful woman came to the realization that not only was Dr. Oliver on the ground, but he was unconscious as well. Haley began to make a muffled noise as she laid her head down on the handsome man's chest. She did not think that she could bare to see her good friend in a coma ever again, but she might not have any other choice.

"So now what?" asked Trent as he placed a supportive arm around Haley's shoulder. He looked up at the rest of his friends and he knew that the person or thing, which they had just encountered, would as of this moment change their futures forever.

Haley continued to weep softly before she gathered her bearings and was able to speak. "Well, I suppose that we should probably get him out of here and home, where he'll be safe. There's no telling when that rotten, evil, disgusting monster will strike-"

"You're too kind." Interrupted the haunting evil voice, which they all wished they had never heard.

Everyone froze, not wanting to look up and face reality, she was back.

"What's the matter kittens, too scared to take me on." Kimberly's voice chattered with an intensely scary tone, and she did not sound like she was ready to back down.

They all knew what they had to do and they knew that it had to be done now. So, without ever looking up all four teenagers shouted in unison the words that would kick the battle into full swing, "Dino thunder power up, ha!"

Standing in front of the injured science teacher was an intimidating force that would have startled any other competitor, but not the evil Pink Ranger. She was ready for a fight and she was by no means willing to accept defeat.

"Red, blue, white, and cute little yellow," said the Pink Ranger in a sweet innocent voice.

"Well, looks like we're all here," she smiled behind her helmet. "Oh, I take that back. What happened to black?" The Pink Ranger was going to have fun with this as she nodded toward the motionless mass on the floor, which was still under Haley's protective embrace.

"What's the matter sweety'd I hurt your boyfriend? Normally I'd apologize, but I'm afraid that I'm just not sorry." Kimberly erupted into a fit of laughter and Haley began to cry. She could not imagine how this creature could be so hateful. Mostly though, she could not believe that this creature could be so hateful to Dr. Oliver.

"Oh, don't cry," said the pink ranger in an almost apologetic voice. "Believe me, he's not worth it," her voice was once again cold and forceful.

"Well, let's get on with this," shouted the Red Ranger as he took a defensive stance.

"So the pretty boy has an attitude," responded the Pink Ranger. "I like my men with spunk. But as luck would have it I don't like you." She sounded mean an unforgiving. The Rangers were scared but they could not let her know that.

"Well, I guess the feelings mutual," replied the Red Ranger.

"Let's do this now!" Chimed in the White Ranger. "Are you gonna make your move are you just wasting everyone's time?"

"Leave it up to the White Ranger to play hero," said Kimberly in a disgusted voice. "You know if I'd had a dime for every time the white guy's ego swelled up, then I'd be a very rich woman."

"You mean a very rich monster," interrupted the Yellow Ranger.

"You know what? I really don't like you blondie." Kimberly was getting annoyed, "So I suggest you shut up or else I'll shut you up."

"That's enough!" shouted Ethan. He was not in the mood to listen to anymore of the Pink Ranger's threats.

"Ooh tough guy," giggled the Pink Ranger. "What are you gonna whip out your laptop and teach me a lesson?" She was very amused by the Blue Ranger; it was going to be way too easy.

"No, but I will." Came a voice from behind her followed by a kick to the back of her head.

The Pink Ranger hit the floor as she cursed her ego. Looking up she could not believe that she had left such a wide-open opportunity to the Red Ranger who stood above her. She was not happy, not at all. In retaliation she took him down with a kick to his shins so fast he never even saw her move.

As she hopped up the White Ranger came at her, fist first. She just barely missed his blow, which would have surely paralyzed her for a few seconds. Kimberly was not about to be the victim, but the White Ranger was. She elbowed him in the ribs and as he crouched down in agony her forearm snapped up against his face as he joined the Red Ranger on the floor.

It did not take but mere seconds for the Yellow and Blue Rangers to get in on the action as Ethan went high and Kira went low. But, they just were not strong enough and ended up with Connor and Trent.

"Let's call on our weapons guys!" declared Connor as they all stood up in unison.

"Let me save you the trouble." Interrupted the Pink Ranger, "Pterodactyl Power Bow!" she shouted to the sky as the artillery appeared in her grasp.

By now the Rangers had begun their attempt to lure her outside and away from Dr. O and Haley. The Pink Ranger took the bait as she met them outside with the spectacular bow in hand. They too had called upon their weapons and were ready for action.

"Oh, how cute, you come with accessories." Kimberly giggled. "Well, let me show you mine!"

She swung the bow like it were a staff, knocking all four Rangers momentarily out of commission.

"Come on guys, get up! We have to regroup!" Shouted Trent.

"Easier said than done! Omf!" said Ethan as the Pink Ranger stuck him in the abdominal.

Kira was not afraid of this fight now, the evil Pink Ranger had ticked her off one too many times. She lunged at the pink nightmare with her bow and put up a pretty fair fight. The two females dueled for a short time, the Pink Ranger coming out the victor.

"She's too strong!" moaned the Yellow Ranger as she lay on the cement recovering from the blow.

"You ain't seen nothing yet pretty!" shouted Kimberly as she drew back her arrow and aimed for the helpless girl on the ground. "Fire," she said sweetly.

Trent saw the entire horror story unraveling as he jumped in the arrows way just before it reached Kira. It hit him and it was a serious hit. He was down as sparks flew all around him.

"Nooo!!!" shouted the Yellow Ranger as she pulled him into her lap, he was motionless.

Once again the Pink Ranger had the upper hand and she did not waste any time.

"Your turn cutie," she declared as she took aim and fired at the Red Ranger before he had time to take cover or dodge the shot.

It hit him directly and he fell too. Ethan ran to his aid but he never reached his friend because the pink arrow reached him first.

It was indeed a terrible sight for anyone to see. There on the pavement lay the Red and Blue Rangers with shocks of pink waves engulfing their bodies. The two teenagers feared they would never move again. In front of them sat a pathetic scene, the Yellow Ranger desperately rocking the White Ranger in her arms. Her cries were relentless and heartbreaking. But, not to the Pink Ranger.

"Hey there cry baby," demanded the Pink Ranger, "Shut it! You're the lucky one today. I don't have an arrow with your name on it. But that's only because I need you to give Dr. Oliver a message for me. Oops, I mean that is if he ever wakes up." The Pink Ranger laughed out loud as Kira sobbed uncontrollably; she just wanted the evil Ranger to leave, and the nightmare to end.

Kimberly continued, "Tell him that Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa have returned and they only have one goal in mind, to defeat the Black Ranger and everything he stands for! In case you were wondering that does include you too, sweetie."

Kimberly reached for her morpher to teleport, "Oh yeah, and also tell the dear handsome doctor that all of this destruction is going to be caused by me. And do forgive me, it was rather rude of me not to have introduced myself, I'm the Pink Ranger. I was the beginning but now I am the end of the Power Rangers! Ha, ha ha..."

And just like that the evil Pink Ranger was gone.

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_Thanks for reading, you guys are so great to keep coming back. I probably shouldn't promise this but I'm pretty sure that chapter 8 will be up this weekend! So, come on back. _


	8. The Aftermath

_Hi guys, thanks for the reviews, I liked all of them! And, it seems that most of you don't think I've made Kimberly too evil, but I kind of think that I may have. So, in the future hopefully I can reach a fair balance. But, don't be afraid I wouldn't dare make her go soft on us. Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter, it's just some necessary business that needs to be taken care of, so enjoy._

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Kimberly Hart was on such a great high that the stars above her seemed brighter and nothing seemed impossible. As she appeared in front of her master and his wife she stood tall with pride. She had given those Rangers one hell of a scare and she had knocked the life right out of the Black Ranger, or at least temporarily.

"Ah my faithful servant has arrived," said Lord Zedd as he turned around in his throne to greet his evil Pink Ranger. "You have done well my dear, very well."

"Thank you Lord Zedd," answered Kimberly as she bowed to her superior.

"Zeddy, you were right, this girl is unstoppable. If things keep going at this rate we'll be king and queen of the universe in mere days!" said the evil witch standing next to Zedd.

"Not so fast my dear. These things take time, as you know," interrupted Zedd.

"What do you mean my Lord?" asked the Pink Ranger. She did not want to sound so eager, but truthfully she was looking forward to annihilating the Power Team as soon as possible.

"Well my faithful servant, I fear that the wretched Dr. Oliver will no doubt be suspecting that you are the Pink Ranger," responded Zedd.

"But Sire, I was so careful not to let him see me, and I hardly said a word while he was conscious, surely he would not be that quick to identify my voice," said the Pink Ranger in her defense.

"That may be so, but you forget how well the Doctor knows you. And, I wasn't going to say anything because you did such a commendable job on your first time out, but you did drop hints to the other Rangers and that annoying red head that you came with a past."

For the first time since her victory the Pink Ranger felt about two inches small. "I am so very sorry my Lord. I promise it won't happen again. I didn't mean-"

"Silence!" yelled the red monster. "I am disappointed in you Kimberly but I'll have to get over it as there is work to be done. In the meantime you will return to Angel Grove where you will resume your life as the charming little schoolteacher. You are not to let anybody know about me or of any of the events of the past two days. Got it."

"Yes my Lord, whatever you wish," said the Pink Ranger.

"You will live as you did before, none of your habits or mannerisms should change noticeably. I know it will be hard but no one is to know your identity. You will wait for my further command."

"Yes my Lord, I-"

"Are you crazy Zeddy?" interrupted Rita Repulsa, "We got those power pukes right where we want them. It would be ridiculous to pull out now, we're just getting started!"

"Enough!" yelled Lord Zedd. "You forget, our dear friend Mesogog is still in the picture. Because of this I would like to take this opportunity to use a strategy which has always served me well, divide and conquer."

"Continue my dear husband."

"You see, we just have to wait for Mesogog to make his next move on the Rangers, which I'm sure will be soon. And then we send down our own little deviant to a separate location. I can almost guarantee the Black Ranger will take on the challenge alone, and then he will be history! Ha, ha, ha"

"That's brilliant my dear husband!" squealed Rita. "Not only that, but with the Black Ranger gone those Rangers won't have chance against that idiot Mesogog and our precious pink priss will have no trouble annihilating him!"

The couple continued to bask in their glory with a huge series of laughs as Kimberly stood before them contemplating her role in all of this. Truthfully, she could not have cared less about Mesogog; she just wanted revenge on Tommy Oliver. But, deep down she knew that once she got her revenge things would not be so wonderful, especially if Lord Zedd and Rita took control of the world. She'd have to think about that latter though. She had received her commands and that was all she needed to worry about right now.

"Well Pinkie, what are you waiting for?" asked the grouchy witch. "Get out of here!" Rita spun her finger and zapped the Pink Ranger back too Earth without a second thought.

Meanwhile back on earth the Dino Rangers were not holding up so well. All three boys still lay on the pavement motionless while Kira could only find the strength to cry. She knew that they would get through this but it was just so hard to imagine that after the horrific scene she had just witnessed.

"I can't let evil beat us," she declared out loud between sobs. "I won't. She carefully let go of Trent as she sat up straight and gathered herself while looking around to make sure no one was in sight. When she saw the coast was clear she yelled, "Power down."

Just like that the four teenagers were once again in their normal street clothes and they were relieved of the Power and all that came with it. It took a few moments for the boys to come to. The first was Trent.

As the young man realized he was in the arms of the most beautiful girl in Reefside he thought that he was in the middle of a dream. But, when he saw the tears escaping the young girl's eyes he remembered what had happened. He sat up and right away and consoled Kira with a tight hug.

"Are you alright?" he softly questioned as the Yellow Ranger nodded into his chest.

"I was so scared you weren't going to wake up," she muffled.

"Well, I'm here and I'm okay now, just a little dazed is all," assured the White Ranger as he looked around in search of his two best buds.

Connor and Ethan were both lying on the pavement about two yards away from each other. As Connor began to move he was brought back into reality as his eyes opened and he saw Haley's busted front window. He sat up slowly and surveillance the damage.

"Conner!" yelled Kira as she escaped from Trent's arms and hurried to her friend. "Are you okay? For a second there I thought you were a goner for sure." She hugged the Red Ranger before he was even able to stand up completely.

"Whoa, I'm fine, just a little dizzy. But I do always appreciate a hug from a beautiful girl."

Normally Kira would have scolded him for thinking with his hormones at such a serious time but she was just happy he was alright.

"Did I miss something?" they heard a groggy voice say from below them. It was Ethan and he was still in recovery on the ground. "Well, don't just stand there flirting, help me up!"

Once everyone was on their feet and scanned for injuries by each other they were ready to face the reality of the situation.

"Well guys," said Conner, "I just hope Dr. O came out of this one as lucky as we did."

The four teenagers looked at each other with great worry in their eyes and then raced towards the empty window. As they got closer they could see Haley still sitting on the ground where they left her. And as they reached her they were relieved to see their leader with his eyes open.

"Dr. O you're okay!" shouted the Yellow Ranger as she knelt to give him a hug too.

"Well, I don't know about that," groaned the archaeologist as he gently wrapped one arm around the girl. "I don't think I've ever been so sore in my life, and I know for a fact my head has never hurt so bad." He was in a great deal of pain but the worried faces of his students reminded him that he was the adult in this situation and it was up to him to make sure they felt safe and optimistic. So he mustered up a smile and said, "But, the test is still on for Monday."

Everyone smiled, but the last thing on their minds right now was a biology test. However, they appreciated their teacher's sense of humor, especially right now. His comment actually did make them feel better because it reminded the kids that the world had not yet come to an end and with each other's help they would see Monday morning.

"Well, you all better get out of here," said Haley. "I want you guys to take Dr. Oliver home in my SUV." She handed Trent the keys knowing full well that Conner would end up convincing him to let him drive. "I'll be along in a little bit. I need to wait for the cops to get here so I can file a report, and then get up some sort of temporary barricade to cover up this colossal hole in my wall," she gestured towards the broken window.

"Are you sure you don't want a couple of us to stay with you and help clean up?" asked Ethan, he always had such good manners when it came to Haley.

"No, I think right now it is very important that you five stay together because you never know when she's going to show up."

Everyone became silent. It was the first time the pink nightmare had been brought up since it happened and up until now everyone preferred to pretend that all this destruction did not have a culprit. But, leave it up to Haley to bring everyone back to reality.

"I'm sorry guys," she said realizing what she had done. "But, it did happen and you guys need to get past it and be ready for what's next. Now go before the police get here and detain you for questioning."

"Haley's right," confirmed Dr. O. "We need to get back to my house, there's a few things that need to be straightened out, and the last thing I want is to be stuck here answering a list of never ending questions." Dr. Oliver did not want to think about the Pink Ranger either, the thought of it was just too much for him to process, but he knew that he had to, and soon.

"Okay," said Conner handing Haley his keys so she could get home. He then knelt down and wrapped one arm around Dr. Oliver as Trent knelt down on the other side of him doing the same thing. The two young men effortlessly lifted their leader off the floor and the fallen heroes slowly made their way to Haley's parking spot.

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_Well, what'd ya' think? Let me know, please. I think my favorite part of this story is your reviews. I'm going to try, and I have to emphasize try because my schedule is pretty full, but I'm going to try to post one more chapter before the week begins. If it doesn't go up by tuesday night then you'll probably have to wait until at least Friday. But it never hurts to keep checking back. Thanks again for reading!_


	9. Time To Face Reality

_Alright, here is the next chapter, the one I know a lot of you have been waiting for. I won't hold you up any longer. enjoy. Oh yeah, and thanks for the reviews._

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As soon as Dr. Oliver set foot in his house he headed strait for the bedroom. He had so many things to sort out in his head on the car ride home that he decided it was irrational to think about them in the presence of his students. No, this was something he had to figure out on his own.

"You guys can go ahead and hang out in here or downstairs its up to you," he said over his shoulder as he slowly took one step at a time up the stairs. "I'm beat. I just need to take a quick nap and a few aspirins, and I promise we'll sit down and figure everything out, but please don't leave, it's not safe."

The four teenagers looked at each other completely puzzled.

"Is he for real?" asked the Yellow Ranger. "We just got our butts seriously whipped by a pink psychopath that wouldn't rest until we were paralyzed, and he wants to take a nap! There's something seriously wrong." Said Kira as she took a seat on the couch.

"I'm afraid to say it," said Conner as he headed towards the kitchen, "but I think your right. Did anyone else notice how weird Dr. O was acting on the drive home?"

"Your tellin' me," added in Ethan as he plopped down on the recliner. "It was like he was in complete denial that the whole thing ever happened."

"Yeah," said Trent, taking a seat next to Kira, "He didn't even want to hear what happened after he was knocked out."

"I couldn't believe the way he snapped at Kira when she told him that the pink witch told her that, that Lord Zedd or whoever was back and that she was there to destroy Dr. O for him," said Conner as he opened the refrigerator door.

"And forget when she told him that the nasty pink thing said something about being the beginning and the end of the Power Rangers," added Ethan.

"Never mind that," said Trent. "What about when Connor told him about how she told Haley not to cry over Dr. O because it wasn't worth it. It was like she knew him or something."

"Something's definitely up," muffled Conner as he shoved a giant scoop of cookie dough ice cream in his mouth directly from the container.

"Just help yourself," said Kira sarcastically.

"What?" said Conner in between bites. "He said we weren't allowed to leave and I'm hungry. You can't hold four teenagers prisoner in your nerdy little science house and expect that they're not going to get restless and then hungry."

"Oh yeah?" said Trent. "The only problem is that you seem to have skipped right over the restless part and went strait for the hungry part."

"And," chimed in Ethan, "he's not holding us prisoner, he's just being cautious. You know I wish you would just once take something seriously." He was becoming impatient with the Red Ranger.

"I am taking this seriously," argued Conner in his own defense, hurt by his good friend's accusations. "I'm sorry okay. I'm going to regret saying this, but I'm really worried this time guys. It's not just because of that twisted Pink Ranger though. It's mostly because of Dr. O. It's like he's somebody else."

"Yeah, somebody without a backbone," added Kira remembering how he cowered in the back seat with his eyes closed humming some ridiculous tune quietly to himself to block out the others' conversation.

"I agree," said Ethan, "what kind of a leader stares death right in the face and the only thing he can do is sit there and say, 'No, no, no,' over and over again, while the rest of us come this close to needing a change of pants?"

"Well, all we can do now is wait," said Trent rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sure we'll have all the answers once he comes back down."

Upstairs, as Tommy entered his room he quickly closed the door behind him and then went straight for the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

"I don't know what you're so worried about Oliver," he said to himself out loud. "This is all just a dream that you'll wake up from soon. It just has to be."

He chose a bottle of aspirin from the medicine cabinet and opened it. He quickly popped four pills into his mouth knowing full well that it was much more than he needed to get rid of his headache. But, it just was not enough to make all of his pain go away.

Next, he returned the bottle to it's designated shelf and closed the mirror cabinet door. Starring at himself he knew it was time to sort everything out. But how could it possibly be?

The second he heard the Pink Ranger's forceful "Hiyah," he recognized her. And when he turned around and saw her shape, the way she moved, and the way she made herself seem seven feet tall when she was only five-three, he knew. But, it just would not register; he would not let it.

He was so ashamed of the way he handled things. He froze like a weakling, and was in so much denial that he went as far to say "No, no, no" over and over again like a stuttering fool. He was useless. He even let down his guard, and paid for it royally.

Dr. Oliver did not want to believe that she was capable of such horrible things. But, maybe she was. Or maybe it was not even her. Maybe his eyes, his memory, and his mind were just playing tricks on him.

But, what about everything that happened after he was knocked out? What about Lord Zedd? Honestly it did not surprise him one bit when Kira told him of the return of Lord Zedd, for he had seen the stylized 'Z' on the Pink Ranger's chest. That only added to his initial confusion.

But, what about how she said she was the beginning and the end of the Power Rangers? He supposed that could have meant lots of things. But, only one meaning came to mind.

Worst of all was when the Pink Ranger told Haley he was not worth crying over. There were only three women on this Earth that could have justifiably made that statement, and two of those women did not even come close to meeting the evil Pink Ranger's description.

He did not want to face the facts, but it all matched up. The evil Pink Ranger was not just some soulless monster like he'd faced so many times before. No, she was a real person, and not just any person. He hated to admit it, or even think it, but the simple fact of the matter was that the Pink Ranger had to be Kimberly Hart. His Kimberly Hart.

But, he had to consider the situation in every aspect and he had to be rational about it. If there was anything he learned from his years in uniform it was that anything was possible. This could be good news but most likely it was bad.

It was entirely possible that the evil Pink Ranger that had defeated him and his team was in fact a regular monster. Zedd and Rita could have just concocted her in hopes of playing with his head. If that was the case then they were good, real good.

But, it was also entirely possible that they decided to skip the imposter and go right for the real thing. In which case Zedd and Rita were not just real good, they were great. And if this was so, then Kimberly had to have been put under some sort of spell. She would never intentionally hurt him on her own. In fact if anyone had any right to be sour it was him.

One thing was for sure though, even if there was just a slight possibility that Kimberly was under all of that hardware and hate then there was no way that he could hurt her, even in defense. He had to find out for sure. But, how? She did not seem too eager to reveal her identity in the first attack and the sooner he knew for sure the better.

If it was Kimberly then maybe he could find her and reason with her before her next attack. But, that was just a naive and stupid idea. Tommy had been under so many spells in the past that he knew there was no such thing as rationalizing with her. But, maybe he could at least find out if it really was her in the Pink Ranger costume if he found her in person.

He knew what he had to do. So he turned around and walked towards the phone sitting on his nightstand. He picked up the receiver and dialed the familiar phone number that had been tattooed in his brain for several years now.

"Hey, it's me. How've you been?" he spoke into the phone.

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_What did you guys think? Let me know. I'd also like to hear some of your predictions regarding what you think Tommy's going to do next. Just curious._


	10. Where Is She?

_Hi everyone. Here is the next installment, it's not the best chapter but it will give you something to chew on until chapter 11, which should be up either friday or saturday. I promise it will be more interesting though. And as always, enjoy. Oh yeah, thanks so much for the reviews. It was really fun to read some of you predictions. _

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"I'm good man, it's great to hear from you," said the former Red Ranger.

Tommy felt comforted when he heard the sound of his best friend's voice on the phone. He had always admired Jason ever since that day he competed with him in the martial arts tournament back in Angel Grove. The two were meant to be best friends from the start, and although their friendship had taken many detours in the past, it was solid as a rock now, in their adulthood.

"So, what's up?" asked Jason quizzically.

Tommy wanted nothing more than to pour out the events of the last few hours to the guy he trusted more than himself, but he knew it just was not a good idea. In the past he never once hesitated to call Jason in a Ranger emergency, even if just for advice. But this time was different. This time was personal.

If he told Jason of his suspicions of Kimberly then Jason would immediately make it his business and that was just too risky. For one, it would make him a target for Zedd and Rita, too, and he had no powers to protect himself. And second, it was senseless to get Jason involved when the Pink Ranger might not even be Kim. So, Tommy decided to play it cool.

"Oh, not much is going on, just going to work and saving the world. You know how it is," responded Tommy nervously.

Jason knew his friend well and he knew that Tommy was a terrible liar.

"Yeah? How is Ranger business going?" he was going to try to subtly get to the bottom of this first.

"It's...alright. The Rangers are giving it their best and so far so good. I mean the world is still in existence right?"

"Right," said Jason with hesitation. "Well I'm glad to hear that things are going well." He was waiting for Tommy to get to the point of his phone call.

"Yup." Replied Tommy.

There was a long silence.

"So, um, it's not that I don't like hearing from you, man. But I'm just kind of curious as to why you're calling."

Jason did not like the vibe he was getting from the Black Ranger, and he could not understand why Tommy was not being honest with him when he had always been before.

"Um, well," Tommy knew he could not just come right out and ask about Kimberly, but there was no other way he could think of. "I was just wandering if you had, um, K-Kimberly's address." He could not believe how incredibly nervous he sounded. But he realized that he was not nervous about lying to his best friend, he was nervous about finally talking to someone about Kimberly.

Jason was totally shocked and confused at Tommy's request. The last time Tommy asked him about Kim was the summer after high school graduation, and even then he was just being polite because he knew Jason was excited about how well Kim had done in the Pan Globals.

"Um yeah, I've got it here somewhere," said Jason in total confusion as he ruffled through the papers in his computer desk. He had no idea how to react to this. "Just hang on sec okay, let me find it."

As Tommy waited he began to dread the answer to his question. He was honestly expecting Jason to give him an address in Florida or maybe even Paris. But a small part of him knew what he was about to hear.

"You still there man?" asked Jason. He was so dumbfounded by the whole situation that he was not even thinking. He knew Kimberly's address by heart because she now resided in the same house she lived from the time they were small kids up until they were teenagers.

"I can't believe I totally spaced it, but Kimberly lives in Angel Grove, in the same house she lived in back when we were kids. She moved..."

Tommy did not need to hear the rest. He was overwhelmed with an incredible feeling of anguish and hurt. If Jason had said anywhere else he would not be so worried. But it only made sense that Rita and Zedd would have picked a Ranger who was still in Angel Grove to do their evil bidding. The couple would always be drawn back to that city, and all of the Rangers knew that. Maybe that was why none of them chose to stay there. They just did not want to even toy with the possibility of ever encountering the evil duo again.

"Tommy? Tommy? You still there man?"

Tommy's thoughts were interrupted.

"Uh yeah, sorry. I was just trying to remember the house number was all. 256 right?"

Who was Tommy kidding? He knew that address better than he knew his own, and Jason knew it.

"That's right," there was a pause, "I hope you don't mind me asking Tommy, but why'd you need to know? I mean you haven't even mentioned Kim in years."

Tommy predicted Jason would be suspicious, he had to think of something fast.

"Uh, I was just going through some old boxes I had left over from the move. Apparently I hadn't opened them in a while 'cause I came across some old stuff from high school. Some of it was Kim's and I thought she might want it back."

It felt so odd to talk about her again. For a minute he forgot that they hadn't spoken since 1997.

"Come on man, you expect me to believe that line of bull? Something's up, now what is it?" Jason was very serious.

"Nothing's up okay!" Tommy snapped. He immediately regretted it though as he realized that he had just made this conversation a lot harder on himself. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, but it's just been a really stressful day." He almost broke down and would have told Jason everything, but he had Jason's best interest in mind.

Jason was not naive, he knew Tommy wasn't telling the truth and he was starting to realize that he probably wasn't going to.

"No, it's cool. I get it. I'm sure it was hard dredging up all those old memories. Would you mind telling me what things of Kim's you found though? Maybe I can tell you if it's worth paying the shipping charge to send them back."

Jason was doing anything in his power to pry any little piece of information out of his friend.

'Crap!' thought Tommy. He should have known Jason would not let him off the hook that easily.

"Just a couple of books, a sweater, a pair of sunglasses, a makeup bag..." Tommy just kept naming things. He figured that if he kept talking then Jason would get tired of listening to him. And he was right.

"Whoa, I get the picture man. That's an awful lot of stuff for you to have had all these years."

"Well, you know girls, they always have a lot of stuff with them. I guess it just all kind of accumulated over those three years. Kim was always forgetting things in my car or in my house, and you know me of course I always forgot to give them back."

Tommy did not want to talk about this anymore, the memories kept coming back. The late nights she spent at his house studying because she said she didn't want to keep the Campbell's up with her light on. Only they never studied. Instead they could usually be found making out in his room with the door closed, or they would just lie on his bed in each other's arms talking. Then they would both fall asleep and wake up at 2 am and realize that if the Campbell's knew Kimberly was at Tommy's house that late then they would have put her on the next plane to Paris.

They left in such a rush that she would usually leave something behind. Then when he would return home after walking or running her home and making sure she got in Aisha's bedroom window safely he would find whatever object she left behind. The next day at school he would tell her she forgot it and she would say, "well I guess I better stop by tonight and pick it up." And she would, but sometimes she never remembered to take it with her when she went home.

"Tommy?"

"Huh, oh sorry man." By now Tommy knew he was treading on thin ice.

"That's the second time you've wandered in five minutes, are you sure everything's okay?" Jason was extremely skeptical at this point and he didn't buy the forgotten items story one bit.

"Yeah. Trust me. Everything's fine, or at least it will be. I mean it." Said Tommy.

"If you say so then I'll believe you. But if something were wrong you would confide in me right bro?" asked Jason.

Tommy paused for a second, "If I needed your help you know I would ask for it."

And Jason left it at that.

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_Like I said, check back again this weekend for more. _


	11. Loyalty

_Hello everyone. Thanks so much for the reviews they made me feel better about the last chapter because it certainley wasn't one of my favorites. I promise more excitement is coming up soon in the following chapter so keep coming back!_

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When Dr. Oliver finally came downstairs it was hours latter. He was very surprised to find that like him, the other rangers were sound asleep. They looked so carefree and peaceful; it was hard for him to bring himself to wake them up. His nap had felt so good and it did help him calm down. He did not dream about anything, it just felt like he had taken a break from existence for a few hours. It was just what he needed. He still had the same worries and fears as he did when he fell asleep, but somehow things did not seem as bad.

Just as he was about to shake Connor awake he heard a noise in the kitchen. Prepared for the worst but hoping for the best he headed towards it. He could not believe how tense he immediately became as he quietly maneuvered around the couch. He decided to just get it over with and lunged into the kitchen hoping to take the intruder by surprised.

And surprised the intruder was as the longhaired woman shrieked and dropped the jar of pickles she had been holding in her hand. The jar hit the ground with a gigantic crash and pickles and glass went everywhere. Everyone heard the noise and immediately raced into the tiny room prepared for some action. But were disappointed and yet relieved to find Haley startled and shaken.

"What is wrong with you Tommy!" she yelled in frustration.

The other Rangers knew she was pretty upset because she rarely called Dr. O by his first name.

"I'm sorry," he apologized as he rushed to her aid with a handful of paper towels in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. "I guess I'm just a little shaken is all. I didn't mean to scare you I thought you were Ki-uh somebody else." Now he was babbling and he had to be careful not to let the cat out of the bag.

"Oh, it's alright," whined Haley, "I guess I should have let you know I was here but I figured you were probably upstairs asleep too." She knelt down to help the doctor clean up the mess. "I can't even understand how in the world any of you guys were able to sleep after everything that happened earlier."

"Well," said Connor, "you'd be surprised how well you can sleep when it's your only escape from reality."

"You said it," agreed Kira, "Anything was better than picturing that horrible Pink Ranger all afternoon."

"Speaking of the horrible Pink Ranger," said Ethan bluntly, "are you ever going to tell us what's up Dr.O?" Ethan wanted answers and he wanted them now.

Tommy looked rather uncomfortable at the mention of the Pink Ranger and Trent picked up on it.

"Lay off it man," said Trent, "he'll tell us when he's ready. Right Dr. O."

"Right," said Dr. Oliver. "The only problem is that I don't think I'll ever be ready. But, I guess you guys do need to know the plan. Why don't you all take a seat in the living room and Haley and I will be in when we finish cleaning up this mess."

All of the Rangers were so eager to get on with it that they were ready to grab some paper towels and even a mop so the job could get done faster. But, Conner picked up on his leader's uneasiness and figured that it would be best to just listen to his instructions.

"Come on guys, lets go," he gestured to his friends and they all followed him into the next room.

"Well, this is it guys," said Trent, grabbing Kira's hand out of nervousness, "Something tells me this is going to be big."

Kira wrapped her other hand on top of his and said, "That may be true, but everything will be okay."

"It better be," replied Connor as he nervously leafed through a science magazine he had found on the coffee table.

"Wow," said Ethan in amazement, "you must really be bothered by this, man. I never thought I'd see a science publication in your hand."

All four kids laughed and for a second were relaxed.

Back in the kitchen Haley immediately picked up on her good friend's tenseness.

"Are you okay Tommy?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little shook up is all. I wasn't expecting to find you in here."

"Well, who were you expecting to find?" asked Haley curiously.

"It doesn't matter. Come on." They had finished cleaning up the mess.

As the couple walked into the living room the laughing teenagers immediately grew silent. Dr. O took a set on the recliner and Haley found a spot next to him on the ottoman. Everyone was frozen in anticipation as the Black Ranger took one final deep breath and began to speak.

"First of all, I just wanted to say thank you to you guys for being there for me today. I realize I don't express my gratitude to you all as much as I should, but I am grateful to every single one of you every minute of everyday."

Everyone modestly nodded to Dr. Oliver, shocked and somewhat confused.

"More importantly, though," he continued, "I let you all down today. I was a poor leader and I am sorry for that."

"Dr. Oliver!" interrupted Kira, "You have never once let us down and today was no exception."

"I appreciate your loyalty Kira," he smiled at the beautiful young woman, "but you don't need to try and make me feel better. I reacted to the situation terribly and because of that you all had to pay for it. I am also very ashamed at they way I carried on in the car on the drive home. I guess you could say I'm not really myself right now and I have my reasons for that."

Everyone starred up at the man with an intense gaze that only made things more difficult for him.

"But, the fact of the matter is that we have just encountered what could very well be our greatest challenge as Power Rangers. That is why it is very important that we all keep a level head and our guard up at all times. Not only that, we need to not be afraid of the battles that lie ahead because I am confident that we will come out of all this on top."

The Rangers nodded in agreement as their pride in themselves and in their leader engulfed them.

"However, I believe that if we are to succeed then you all need to follow my instructions completely. They may not sound rational or logical to you guys, but I have thought this over very carefully and I have come up with a plan that I think will work."

"So you think we can knock that nasty little Pink Ranger right on her butt?" asked Ethan eagerly.

"Well, I do think we will ultimately succeed in destroying Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa," answered Dr. O. He had no intention of hurting Kimberly if he could help it, but he knew the Rangers would not yet be able to understand that.

"Remind me again who they are," said Trent. The other Rangers had filled him in on what they knew of the history of the Power Ranger's legacy, but his mind drew a blank.

"Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa were what I guess you could call my version of Mesogog. Nine other Power Rangers and myself fought against them back when I was in high school. I suppose neither side won, but it didn't matter because according to the Red Space Ranger, Andros, my leader Zordon destroyed them. But, somehow, I don't how, they're alive and well now, and they won't rest until they've gotten rid of me, for good."

The Yellow Ranger cringed in despair. It did not make sense that anyone would want to hurt Dr. O.

"I guess they decided that the best way to do that was by creating their own Power Ranger." Continued Dr. Oliver. "Why they chose pink and who they chose is unknown to me right now. I have my suspicions, but I don't think it would be fair for me to divulge those to you until they are confirmed.

"Wait a minute, back it up just on second," said Connor, "are you trying to tell us that the Pink Ranger is an actual person?"

"I do have reason to believe that that's a very good possibility."

"Then who is she?" asked Trent eagerly.

"Like I said, I don't know but I have a candidate in mind," answered Dr. Oliver.

"Well spill it man," demanded Ethan.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that just yet. Not until I know for sure."

It wasn't that Tommy didn't want tell the Rangers about the possibilities he just knew that the more they knew the more danger they would be in.

"So we're just supposed to sit back and wait for her to attack again and hope that this time she doesn't completely annihilate us?" asked Connor angrily.

"No, I'm not saying that at all," assured the Black Ranger. "I'm saying that I am going to follow the leads I've gathered and hopefully find out the identity of the Pink Ranger."

"Well, give 'em to us Dr. O, we can help you," said Ethan.

"No, I can't. This is something I have to do alone."

"But why?" asked Kira, "I thought we were a team."

"We are a team," replied the doctor in his defense. "But somebody needs to stay here in case Mesogog decides to join the party while I'm gone."

"Where are you going?" asked Haley trying to choke back her worry and disappointment.

"I can't say, it's too dangerous for you all to know. All I can tell you is that it is within driving distance. I have no idea how long I will be gone for, but I promise I'll keep you posted, okay?"

"I'm sorry Dr. O. but were just having a really hard time wrapping our brains around this," said the Red Ranger. "You're just not making any sense."

"I realize it may seem that way to you Connor, but I have to do this and all I can do is ask that you all give me one hundred and ten percent of your loyalty like you always have. What do you guys say? Please?"

The teenagers looked at each other in confusion; they were completely dumbfounded. Kira was the first one to gather the courage to respond.

"Of course we will Dr. O."

At that moment Dr. Thomas Oliver had never been so proud of his students.

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_What did you all think? I know things are moving kind of slow, but coming up is Tommy's return to Angel Grove. Now just think how fun that will be. Thanks for reading._


	12. Coming Home

_Finally!!! I apologize that it's taken so long for things to start happening in the story lately but I think that most of you will be very happy with this chapter. I also want to apologize for all the misspellings that occured in my last chapter. I wrote it and posted it late at night and I didn't notice them until today. Shame on me. Hopefully this chapter will be better even though I am once again writing it and posting it late at night. But thanks for sticking with me anyways. I hope you guys like this one, and thanks for the reviews!_

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A little under one hour had passed since the Dino Rangers left Dr. Oliver's small secluded home. It was very obvious to him that they did not like his orders one bit. But, he had to hand it to them; they took it like the heroes they were and obeyed him. Haley on the other hand had a more difficult time letting her best friend go.

She stayed behind after the others left. She had snuck away downstairs pretending to scan the city and its surrounding areas for trouble, but Tommy knew otherwise. He figured it would be best to just let her be, after all he'd done everything but explain himself to her and the Rangers.

Before Dr. Oliver hit the road he jumped in the shower in hopes of rejuvenating himself. It had been such a long day and the hardest part was yet to come. Amazingly the shower did refresh him and renewed his energy.

After, he packed his bags. A suitcase, a duffel bag, and his old green school bag leftover from his high school days as the Green Ranger. He had absolutely no idea how long he was going to be in Angel Grove but he hoped no more than the remainder of the weekend. If he missed anymore school at Reefside High Principal Randall would surely fire his butt in a heartbeat. That wasn't the most important thing right now, though.

As he packed his things he found himself unintentionally filling his bags with white and green garments. They were all so old but he had kept them. Once he realized what he was packing he began to question himself. Why was he really going to Angel Grove? Was it really just to solve the Pink Ranger problem? Or had he always been looking for a reason to see Kimberly Hart again? And if that were the case then was he sappy enough to think that if he wore white and green then she would remember everything and then fall madly in love with him all over again?

"Snap out of it Oliver," he said to himself as he hurriedly emptied the contents of his bag and began grabbing for anything black in his reach.

"That part of your life is over and Kim is gone with it. This is strictly business and that's it."

Once his bags were full and he mentally went through the checklist in his head he realized that for once he had actually remembered everything. So, he made his way downstairs, out the door, and to his jeep. Loading the jeep he remembered that Haley was still downstairs and he knew that she at least deserved a goodbye. He was about to go back into the house to get her when the front door opened and out she came.

She did not say anything she just hurried over to him and embraced him in a tight, almost suffocating hug before he had a chance to say anything. He could tell she was crying and had been for a while because the front pieces of her hair were wet. He was about to say something to her but realized that he had no idea what that would be. He couldn't tell her anything she did not already know and anything he said beyond that would not offer her any consolation.

He just simply said, "I'll call you once I get settled in the hotel, I promise."

She finally let go of him nodding her head in response. Tommy turned around and climbed inside the black jeep. He turned on the ignition, put the automobile in drive and stepped on the gas. He never even looked back at the beautiful woman; it was just too hard.

Being on the open road only made Tommy more nervous. He approached the Reefside city limits sign and noticed the sign right after it that read, 'Stone Canyon 216, Angel Grove 232.' He still had four hours of this never-ending torture to go.

About one hundred miles latter he approached a gas station, which sat out in the middle of nowhere. The sun had already gone down and all that was left was a faint orange glow in the distance. He pulled over and filled up his tank.

After, he went inside the small establishment to pay but realized that he was suddenly very hungry. Browsing around the convenience store he reached for a bag of chips. Then he headed up the next isle where he chose a bag of trail mix. Finally he picked a bottle of pink lemonade out of the drink case. Then he approached the cashier.

"This all for ya," said the elderly man in the blue smock that read the name of the station.

"Yeah," responded Tommy "and pump two." He then spotted the rack of gum on the counter. "And a pack of gum please," he said as he grabbed the package.

"That'll be twenty eight twelve." Tommy paid the man in cash and headed back out on the road.

After turning on his headlights Tommy opened the bag of chips. He hadn't had this kind in years. Not since he and Kimberly went on that picnic right before she left for Florida. The memory of that day made him smile.

After finishing the bag of chips he opened his bottle of pink lemonade and took a drink. As the sour yet sweet liquid passed his lips he remembered that pink lemonade was always Kimberly's beverage of choice. Once again he smiled.

He then set down the bottle in the drink holder and tore open the bag of trail mix. He couldn't believe how hungry he was. Kimberly always said that "when someone is hungry it is better to stuff your face with nuts and raisins rather than nuts in a chocolate bar." He laughed to himself at the memory of all the cute things she used to say and do.

Once the nuts and raisins were gone Tommy remembered the gum he had purchased and stuffed in his pocket back at the gas station. He reached for it and shoved a piece in his mouth. At that moment he came to the realization that everything he just bought was subconsciously purchased because it reminded him of Kimberly. The biggest reminder of all was filling his mouth with her taste right now. Kimberly always chewed bubble gum flavored gum and because of this whenever he kissed her he usually tasted it on her lips.

Disgusted at himself he spat out the gum into his empty lemonade bottle, another reminder of his weakness. He quickly threw all of the wrappers and containers in the back seat. He did not need the distractions.

Not long after Tommy came upon another mileage sign. Angel Grove was only forty-two miles away. 'How time flies when you're having fun,' he thought to himself sarcastically. It was time for him to figure out what he was going to do when he actually reached Angel Grove.

He knew where she lived and although it was a Saturday night she probably would be at home by the time he got into town. But if she was the evil Pink Ranger did he have the strength to take her on tonight? More importantly though, did he have the strength to see her again tonight?

Tommy pondered this question for quite sometime and by the time he came to a decision he had reached Angel Grove's city limits sign along with a big elaborate sign that read 'Welcome to Angel Grove, Home of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.' He remembered the day that sign was put up and what a wonderful feeling it was to be recognized for his devotion to the city.

He soon passed by the lake; it seemed so small now. He knew it hadn't shrunk, his life had just gotten bigger. Beyond the lake was the park. He thanked God it was dark out because he knew that if he had laid eyes on it in the daylight he probably would have turned his jeep around immediately and gone home.

Several minutes latter he was on Main Street and shortly after that he parked at his destination. Getting out of the jeep was no easy task because Tommy was so stiff from the drive; it had seemed so short on the way.

After checking in at Angel Grove Hotel Tommy managed to lug his bags into the elevator and up to the third floor. Once the door opened with a 'ding,' he slowly searched for the door that read 316. He found it at the end of the hall.

The inside of the room was decent, nothing extravagant but nice. If these were normal circumstances he would have opted to stay at his parent's house, but it would have been stupid to get them involved in all of this.

He sat down all of his luggage on the floor and headed strait for the telephone on the nightstand. He dialed nine and then the number. It began to ring.

"Hello," said a female voice.

"Hi, it's me," he said slowly.

"Tommy?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered "I just wanted to let you know that I'm here."

"Where is here," asked the concerned woman on the other end of the line.

"It doesn't matter Haley. The important thing is that I reached my destination safely and everything's okay."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that Tommy. You take care of yourself okay?" Haley could tell that Tommy was tired and was in no mood to talk.

"Okay," he answered.

"Well, good night," said Haley dryly.

"Good night," replied Tommy with remorse. Click. She had hung up the phone.

Tommy was so very tired, that's why he decided that it would be best to wait until tomorrow to find Kimberly. He knew that if she escalated a fight then he would be no competition for her in the state he was in. He also knew that if he even just saw her in the state he was in he would not have the strength to handle the situation correctly.

As he drifted off to sleep he immediately became entranced in a dream. It was a really good dream; she was in it. He dreamed of the first day he met Kimberly Hart and of the first time he kissed her all the way up until the last time he kissed her under the mistletoe. Then just as she was about to board the plain to Florida again he awoke realizing he was completely out of his mind.

He got up off the bed immediately and washed his face in the bathroom. Looking in the mirror he said to himself, "This is it Tommy." And while grabbing his keys on the way out the door he had only one destination in mind.

As he pulled up to the small white and pink two story house at 256 Rose Avenue Tommy felt as if he had never stopped coming to this house. It was all so familiar. It even still had the same rosebush in front of the bay window that he had helped her plant one Saturday afternoon.

Tommy turned off the engine, removed his seatbelt and took a very deep breath as he opened his jeep door. He stepped out onto the sidewalk and started up the short path to the porch. His legs were numb, his breathing was a mess, and he could have sworn that the sound of his heartbeat could have been heard all the way up to the master bedroom window on the second floor where the soft yellow light was glowing.

As he reached the porch he stepped up the first step, and the second, on the third he realized how loud his boots were. He hoped she hadn't heard him because he did not want to scare her, it was after all 2:00 a.m.

Once he reached the door he held his breath and reached for the doorbell.

Up stairs the gorgeous young woman had just gotten out of the bathtub. She had been soaking for so long, just trying to figure everything out in her head. She had done something very wrong today and she was quite aware of it. But, it had felt so right at the time.

As Kimberly unwrapped her pink towel she traded it for a pink satin negligée. The material felt nice against her skin as she walked over to her bed and turned down the covers. Thinking about the next day Kimberly sighed to herself. 'I don't want to go back to reality and pretend like I'm miss perfect prissy princess.' She thought to herself. How in the world could Lord Zedd expect her to return to her old life and act like nothing's changed? It was definitely going to be a challenge.

As Kimberly sat down on her bed and adjusted herself against the headboard she thought of something much funner, Dr. Oliver. Ever since she saw him this afternoon she had been completely overwhelmed with lust and infatuation. However, she was not at all impressed with his romantic display in the cyber café. In fact she was somewhat insulted that he would even date someone like that red headed woman when he had been with someone as charming and beautiful as herself.

Her anger towards him began to surface and she knew that if she did not put a stop to her evil thoughts now then she would never get to sleep. So, she lay down, drew the covers over her and began to doze off.

Suddenly, she was awakened by the sound of her doorbell. Annoyed and somewhat alarmed she dragged herself out of bed and reached for her robe, which was draped over a chair. She put it on and wrapped it around herself; securing it in a bow as she walked down the stairs slowly and cautiously.

It was so late, who in the world could be visiting her at this hour? As she approached the door she put her hand on the doorknob and used the other hand to turn on the outside light. Cursing herself for never having that peephole installed she slowly opened the door. Whoever it was she was pretty confident that she could take them on, even in her nightgown and robe. However she was not prepared for who stood before her, Tommy Oliver.

She swung the door all the way open in surprise and to get a better look at the handsome doctor. He looked as delicious as he had earlier in the day. He still wore the same clothes and had the same expression on his face that he did as he walked carefreely through the streets of Reefside.

Kimberly did not know what to say and it seemed that the doctor was mute himself so she did the first thing that came to mind. She followed her animalistic urges and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and capturing him in the most passionate kiss ever known to man.

He responded very well to her and wrapped his arms around her even tighter than her grip was. He tasted so good and it felt so wonderful. He did not kiss like the boy she had kissed so many times so many years ago. No, he was all grown up and she had to admit it was for the better.

They both began to get very heated and as she began to lose control of all of her senses Kimberly heard the sound of footsteps on her porch. As she slowly came out of her deep sleep she realized that it had all been a dream. Disappointed and terribly confused she sat up and pouted to herself. Who the hell was on her porch and why did they have to wake her up?

Annoyed, she repeated the steps, which she had taken in her sleep and put on her robe and made her way downstairs to the front door. She turned on the light and slowly eased the door open half expecting to see Dr. Oliver standing there with that silly little grin on his face. But, she was surprised only to find an empty porch. She stepped outside and said,

"Hello! Is anybody there?"

After surveillanceing her yard and the street she determined that if there was somebody there before then they certainly didn't hang around.

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_So, did I fool ya? Seriously, let me know what you guys thought. I also would like to know if you guys think Kimberly should be nice to Tommy and make a fool of him, or if she should just be mean to him and tip him off to the fact that she's evil. Please review and thank you so much for reading!_


	13. Today's the Day

_Alright guys here's the next chapter. Your reviews were quite fun to read. Some of you are very devious, but don't worry I won't tell anybody. Besides one of you, actually a few of you gave me a really good idea. But, I won't say what it is now because who wants to read a story when they aready know what's going to happen? I guess all that's left to say now is read, enjoy, and please review._

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The next morning Kimberly's alarm clock chimed at exactly 7:00 on the dot. At first she awoke in the most horrible mood. Sleep had felt so good. Who knew being evil could take so much out of a person? Then she realized that for the first time since she had moved back to Angel Grove she had actually gotten real, uninterrupted, restful sleep. With the exception of her dream and the unexpected visitor in the middle of the night, of course.

At first she couldn't remember which scenario had been real and which had been merely a dream. Had she actually had the pleasure of tasting Tommy's sweet lips again? Or had she had the disappointment of finding an empty porch?

The second choice sounded much more realistic and after some careful deductive reasoning she realized that Dr. Oliver had never set foot on her porch last night much less taken her breath away with a passionate kiss that out did all other kisses before it.

It had seemed so real though. Kimberly ran her fingers over her lips hoping to find some remnant or proof that it had actually happened. But, this was real life and in real life Tommy Oliver lived a perfect little happy life in Reefside with his perfect little students and his disgusting little girlfriend.

"Blah," she said out loud at the thought of the mysterious woman.

'Never mind that now Kimberly,' she thought to herself as she sat up in bed deciding what to do with her Sunday. She knew that Lord Zedd's orders were that she continue her life just the same as before, not doing anything different. But, the mere idea of doing her regular Sunday routine was unbearable. 'Would anyone really suspect something just because I didn't show up at the Youth Center this morning?' she thought.

Every Sunday since she moved back, she would get up at 7:00 a.m., jog the long route to the Youth Center, and then have breakfast at juice bar counter in the company of Bulk and Skull. And it wasn't that she minded Bulk and Skull's company, she just didn't feel like pretending to be a valley girl that never really grew up, all morning long.

Maybe she would just skip it. But wait, that was no good. She had unintentionally missed her training session with the girls at the Youth Center yesterday. She was a little preoccupied at the time. Surely her absence sent Skull into a terrible worry, especially after she insisted on walking home in the dark alone the night before. If she did not show up this morning he would probably assemble and head up a search party for her.

Dragging herself out of bed she walked over to her dresser drawer and fished out a few garments suitable for a five-mile jog. Then she changed her clothes, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and fixed her hair up into a knot on top of her head.

Kimberly then made her way downstairs noticing how comfortable her brand new Nikes were. Before heading out the door she went into the kitchen and gulped down a huge glass of water followed by a small glass of orange juice for a little boost. Then she opened all of the curtains downstairs to let in a little light. Finally, she grabbed her keys on her way out the door.

As she stepped out onto the porch she began to stretch and prepare herself for the run. She seriously could not see herself completing it because she was so tired. But, orders were orders, even if she hated them. She took off running a little burdened and very slow.

Back at the Angel Grove Hotel Tommy Oliver woke up from a stream of nightmares that were so terrible they made real life seem like a cakewalk. They were all of course about Kim and most of them were about her as the evil Pink Ranger.

One dream in particular stood out from the rest. As it started out he had found her at the Youth Center, sitting at the counter. When he approached her she was her old sweet self. She acted as nothing had ever come between them and invited Tommy to join her. As he sat down next to her he suddenly found himself in Lord Zedd's evil dimension, the same one he had rescued Kimberly from when Katherine stole her power coin. When he reached for her to offer his protection she was gone, and in her place was the evil Pink Ranger.

She challenged him to a duel but there was one slight problem, he was powerless. He called on his Dragon Zord powers, his Tiger Zord powers, the White Ranger powers, Zeo Ranger 5 powers, his Turbo powers, and finally his Dino Thunder powers. But no morphers appeared and he was left to battle the villainess in the state of a mere mortal.

The Pink Ranger seemed very proud of herself and very eager to watch him panic. She said something to him that really bothered him in his dream, and it still bothered him now that he was awake. She said in sweet little innocent voice, "Awe, what's the matter Tommy? Can't find your power coin? I have to say I know how that feels and I would help you find yours, but you never even tried to help me find mine!" her tone became very evil.

He was so confused, how could she even say that? She knew he had always done everything in his power to help her no matter what. But, apparently she did not see things that way.

"When I lost the pink power coin you did nothing to try to get it back," she continued, "Instead all you were concerned about was Katherine's safety when it was all her fault to begin with!" she erupted into rage.

"Kimberly, what are you talking about? You know Katherine was under Zedd and Rita's spell when she did all of those terrible things, and when she came over to our side she was in incredible danger. I had to pro-"

"Enough!" interrupted the evil girl. "Stop sticking up for her. She's not even here!"

Tommy cringed at the sound of her yell. "Kim, just calm down okay, I don't want to fight you," he said coolly.

"Don't want to fight me?" she sounded surprised. "How could you not want to fight me when it was you who created me!"

He couldn't understand what she meant by that and even though the dream eventually ended with him the loser and her the winner he couldn't have cared less about the outcome. He just wanted to know what it all meant. Mostly though, he wandered if it was his subconscious that conjured up this nightmare or was it perhaps some higher power?

Realizing that the day had to start some time Tommy pushed himself out of bed and went straight for the shower. Then after showering he did the rest of his grooming. Even though Kim might be evil he still wanted to look presentable for her. Soon he was out the door at exactly 8:00.

For as long as Tommy knew Kimberly she had always been an early bird. In high school he never understood how she did it when he just had a hard time remembering to set his alarm clock. So, now he figured that she had probably already been up for at least an hour.

But, maybe he was being rude showing up first thing in the morning. If she was not in fact under Zedd's evil spell then she would think he went insane. How would he explain himself to her? That's why he never rang the doorbell at her house last night. At the last minute he realized how bad it looked showing up at his high school sweet heart's house at 2:00 a.m. when he had not seen her in years. If she wasn't evil what could he say? Maybe something like "Oh gee I suspected you might be the evil Pink Ranger so I thought I'd stop by and check. And now that I'm here it's clear that you're not so I guess I'll be going." That some how did not sound right. Not to mention it would be involving Kimberly in this whole mess when she did nothing but mind her own business.

Then of course the second he left she would get on the phone and blab the entire thing to Jason, and before he knew it he'd have to worry about a macho man with no powers as well as cute girl with no special abilities, just a score to settle with Zedd and Rita. No thank you.

He seriously hadn't given any thought to what he was going to say to her if she was not evil. She would not let him leave without an explanation and somehow he didn't think she would believe that he just wanted to catch up with her for old time's sake. She knew she had hurt him and he knew that was why she never made any efforts to contact him after she sent the letter.

Deciding that because most of the evidence pointed to Kimberly as the guilty party he probably did not have to worry about an excuse. If anything he should probably morph before ringing the doorbell.

As Tommy once again got out of his jeep and walked up the path his stride grew very quick. He was ready to put this whole thing to rest even if it meant awaking another battle. Once on the porch he did not hesitate to ring the doorbell and it was not until he heard the chime inside the house that he took a deep breath to center himself.

He waited for what seemed like forever but no one came to the door and he heard no stir in the house. So, he rang again. Nothing. He was beginning to feel desperate so he rang again, and again, and then he knocked, and knocked, and knocked. Still nothing.

Stepping off the porch he turned right and peeked inside the bay window. The house was exactly how he pictured it would be. Everything was tidy, not a speck of dust in sight. The walls were covered in framed photographs and every available surface had miniature decorative figurines. There were also pink pillows on the couch and pink drapes on all of the windows. But no Kimberly.

Tommy finally came to terms with his bad timing and turned around to walk back to his jeep. He noticed that her car or what he assumed was her car was parked in the driveway. "I hope she's okay," he said to himself as he climbed back in the jeep.

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_I know, I know I was doing so well and now we're back to what I call 'inbetween chapters.' But never fear 'cause the next chapter is going to be good! Yup, you guessed it Tommy and Kimberly will finally come face to face. And I promise no dreams, no fantasies, just plain old reality. The bad news is that I don't know when exactly I'll have time to write it. So I guess just keep checking back. And as always thank you all for reading, you're Aces. Oh yeah, and don't forget to review 'cause if you have any ideas of how Tommy and Kim's meeting should go let me know._


	14. Hello Kimberly

The second Kimberly set foot in the Youth Center, as usual all eyes were on her. In particular Skull was very excited to see her.

"Hey Kimberly," he said with a huge smile spread across his face, "where ya' been girlie?"

Kimberly looked down to the floor and rolled her eyes to herself; she was so not in the mood for any of this.

"Oh, sorry about yesterday, I was feeling a little under the weather. I guess it was something I ate," she replied and then forced a smile.

"Yeah," said Bulk in a serious voice "well a phone call would have been nice. We had five whinny little girls stuck her for two hours waiting for you. And then when their parents finally came to pick them up we had to listen to them whine for fifteen more minutes about how unprofessional it was that you weren't here with no explanation."

Wow, Bulk was mad. Kimberly couldn't remember him taking that sort of tone with her since high school. 'I guess I'm not the only one experiencing mood swings,' she thought to herself. Though she figured what he was really mad about was having to listen to his best friend worry about her all day.

"I'm sorry," she retorted, "I just didn't wake up until well after the class would have been over and by then I didn't even feel like getting out of bed, much less getting on the phone."

Kimberly was surprised at how easy and naturally the lie came out of her mouth. Maybe this morning wouldn't be so hard after all. Wrong. She noticed Skull staring at her with those ridiculous puppy dog eyes behind the juice bar. He began to speak,

"You should have called me Kim, I would have brought you over something to relieve the pain. You'd be amazed at what the right combination of fruits, vegetables, and vitamins can do." He was so pathetic.

"That's so sweet Skull, but this may be news to you but as it turns out I am a grown woman and I feel quite fine now incase you hadn't noticed."

That really came out wrong and Kimberly knew it. She hoped Skull didn't take it too personally but who was she kidding? He shrunk back like a scared little boy and turned to make her smoothie. Bulk however was not as easy to forgive the girl's heartless remark.

"Hey, miss inconsiderate, don't think you can just waltz in here and treat Skull like you did back in high school 'cause in case you didn't notice he's a grown man. And, he never has to do any of this for you but he does it because he's a nice guy and he thought you were a nice girl. But I guess he was wrong about that, wasn't he."

Bulk turned and walked away towards some tables that needed to be bussed on the other side of the room. Kimberly however was not impressed with his clever little comment. She made a face at his back and then decided that she needed to make things right with Skull or else it wouldn't be long before he realized something was up.

"Skull?" she said unsure if she would receive a response.

"What?" he responded dryly without turning around to look at her.

"I'm sorry," Kimberly actually sounded sincere.

Skull really wasn't interested in her apology. Bulk had been right all along. She had never actually been his friend she was just being cordial to him because she had to see him everyday. What had he been thinking all this time, as if he would have ever in a million years had a chance with her.

"Just forget it Kimberly," he said, "it doesn't matter. Here's your smoothie."

He handed her the pink glass and turned to walk to back kitchen. Kimberly really couldn't have cared less about hurting his stupid little feelings but if she didn't fix things soon she'd be hearing from Lord Zedd and it wouldn't be pretty.

"But Skull," she pleaded "it does matter." She paused to think of what line of bull she could feed him next. "You're one of my best friends in the whole world and if anybody deserves my respect it's you. You've been so good to me these past few months and I repay you by being so hateful." She buried her head in her arms and began sniffling as if she were crying. And of course he bought it.

"Kimberly, don't cry," Skull came around the counter and sat down next to her. As he rubbed her back in consolation he said, "It's okay. Please don't be upset."

'He's such a sucker,' she thought to herself 'I'm almost in the clearing.' She stood up and lunged at him wrapping her arms around his neck and capturing him in a hug.

"So you forgive me?" she muffled into his T-shirt.

"Well," said Skull "what you said really wasn't nice but I think that eventually I could forgive you." He was going to milk this apology for all it was worth.

"Eventually?" she asked surprised, "Why not now?"

"Well I hear the words coming out of your mouth but I'm not sure I believe them."

She couldn't believe this guy. If he loved her so much why was he making this so difficult for her?

"Because," answered Skull light heartedly, "I need you to prove to me that you really value my friendship and you aren't just using me to get free smoothies."

Kimberly pulled away from him and playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "I should have known better. Okay, what do I have to do to prove my loyalty to you my dear?" She wanted to throw up.

"Go out with me tonight," he said confidently as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

'No,' she thought to herself, 'he did not just ask me to do that! There's no way I can do that.' She didn't even notice where his hands were. Then, just as she was about to give him an answer she heard Bulk's voice in the distance utter a familiar name.

"Well hello Tommy," said Bulk.

Kimberly turned around speechless to see the handsome Dr. Oliver standing behind her looking as scrumptious as ever in his sexy worn jeans and black button up shirt, which he wore with the sleeves rolled up and the first three buttons undone. She could see his white undershirt poking out and wished she could see just a little bit more. He wasn't wearing his glasses today, and she was grateful because she was now able to see his beautiful dark brown eyes more clearly. 'Perfect timing,' she thought.

"Hello Bulk," he said cordially walking over to him to shake his hand. "Long time no see. How you been man?"

"Good," said Bulk, "I own the place now, well Skull and I do," he gestured towards his best friend.

It was at this time that Tommy looked in the direction of Bulk's hand and for the first time in a very long time he once again laid eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever had the pleasure of seeing, Kimberly Hart. At first he didn't even notice who she was with he just took in the gorgeous sight. She was dressed in her work out clothes but as always she looked amazing in them. She wore a fitted black tank top and short little pink running shorts. Her hair was a silky auburn knot on the top of her head and she still glowed like a firefly in the night sky.

Once he took her in and caught his breath he immediately noticed Eugene Skullovich's arms wrapped around her waste. The image hit him like a roundhouse kick to the stomach. He knew that his leg's would have given out from under him if he hadn't have been holding on to the railing next to him.

Skull glared at his former classmate as Tommy caught Kimberly's attention. That was it, the only shot he'd ever have with Kimberly, ruined once again by Tommy Oliver. He never much cared for the guy before, but right now he wished he would just disappear forever.

Bulk and Tommy began walking towards the couple. Tommy couldn't believe what was going on and he had no control over it. He just had to roll with the punches.

"Hey Skull," he said as cheerfully as possible as he extended his hand to the man.

"Tommy," replied Skull nonchalantly pretending his hand was not there.

Skull's unfriendliness really didn't bother Tommy, though. He only cared about one person in that room right now and it certainly wasn't Skull. His gaze shifted towards the girl. He looked at her for what seemed like forever. He studied her, never wanting to forget the way she looked at this moment because he knew that it would soon be over.

"Hello Kimberly," he managed to say without shaking or stuttering.

"Hi Tommy," she answered back looking into his eyes. Then she bit her lower lip hearing Lord Zedd's voice in her head reminding her that she had to act like the Kimberly Hart she once was. So she escaped from Skull's grasp and shifted towards her ex-boyfriend. She took one step forward, got up on her tip toes and rested a small, sweet, moist little kiss on the doctor's cheek. She could have sworn that his skin immediately got warmer beneath her lips.


	15. I Know You're the Black Ranger

_Hi everyone, I'm so sorry it's taken so long for me to update. Life's been a little hectic lately. But, at least things are getting interesting in the story. I really appreciated everyone's reviews; they always keep me motivated to write more. I'm hoping to add one more chapter at some point this weekend but I can't make any promises. I guess that's it. Thank's so much to everyone who keeps coming back for more. _

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Tommy was in complete shock at the former Pink Ranger's gesture. She had actually kissed him on the cheek with no reservations or hesitation. Now he was more confused than ever. It wasn't that he thought that Kimberly no longer cared for him, he just figured that he had merely become an acquaintance to her because it had been so long since they'd had any contact with one another.

Noticing Dr. Oliver's surprised expression Kimberly realized that Lord Zedd had been right. Tommy had recognized her and that's why he was standing before her now. 'What am I going to do?' she worried as she remembered her master's anger the day before. She was going to have to be very careful this time; no slip ups like she'd had with Skull.

"So," said the handsome man nervously, "How have you been?"

He couldn't understand what was going on 'Her eyes should be glowing red right about now, why is she acting so sweet?' he thought.

"I've been good," replied the beautiful young women sweetly, "I guess now you know that I've moved back to Angel Grove."

"Yeah," replied Tommy "here you are."

There was an awkward pause, which didn't last for long thanks to Skull.

"So, Tommy," he said suspiciously "what brings you back? Haven't seen you around in quite a while."

That was the last question Tommy wanted to answer. He knew he should have come up with an excuse before he arrived but he figured Kimberly wouldn't even give him a chance to say hello.

"Uh," began Tommy "I came out here on a dig."

"A dig?" questioned Bulk. Everyone looked at Tommy like he had gone mad.

"Yeah, a dig. I'm a paleontologist now and I thought I'd come out for the weekend and check out the Angel Grove Mountains."

Bulk and Skull immediately cracked up laughing.

"That's a good one Tommy," said Bulk in between chuckles, "but what's the real reason you came out her?"

Tommy turned red. The nerve of these guys laughing at him in front of Kimberly, no less, when they didn't even go to college.

"No, seriously," he said defensively, "I got my doctorate in paleontology and I now teach at a high school in Reefside."

The duo laughed even harder at his effort to impress them. Tommy was beginning to get really agitated with them, and he would have put them in their place if he hadn't of noticed Kimberly staring down at her shoes. She looked as if she wasn't the least bit interested in the conversation that had been taking place around her. Instead she appeared to be deep in thought.

Little did Tommy know Kimberly was in the middle of a personal battle within herself. She was having a hard time establishing her feelings for the man standing in front of her. On the one side it was Tommy, good old Tommy. He had always been there for her whether they were dating or not. On the other hand it was Tommy, the same guy who let Katherine ruin her life and steal her spot on the team and not to mention in the gang. Deciding that the Tommy she preferred was long gone; Kimberly wasn't going to let this guy get the best of her. In fact she was going to get the best of him.

"Kim," said a voice bringing her to her senses. It was Tommy. "Do you want to maybe take a walk?" Tommy realized that of course Kimberly wouldn't show her true colors in front of Bulk and Skull, he needed to get her alone.

"Sure," said Kimberly smiling "in fact, how about you walk me home?"

She was so friendly. Tommy was beginning to feel remorse for ever having suspected her of such horrible things.

But, before taking a step she turned to Skull who was still recovering from his outburst.

"Pick me up at eight handsome," she said and then led the way out the Youth Center.

Tommy was astonished, the look on his face was classic, Kimberly wished she'd had a camera.

Outside, Tommy finally caught up with her, forgetting all about the evil Pink Ranger and Lord Zedd, he just had to know what was going on with her and Skull.

"Kim," he said matching her stride "so, you and Skull?"

"Well, I always thought he was kinda cute."

Kimberly giggled, she was very happy with the way things were turning out today. She clearly remembered how hard her ex-boyfriend had taken it when Miss Chief had put a spell on her back in high school, which caused her to fall head over heels in love with Skull. She knew exactly which buttons to push now, and she was going to push every one of them.

Tommy stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kimberly never much cared for Skull before and she certainly never thought he was cute. Tommy just tried to shake it off and change the subject. But he could not help but think there was something suspicious going on.

"So, how's it feel to be home?" he asked changing the subject.

"Pretty good," replied Kimberly, "actually everything's perfect, just like it always was, except even better."

"How's that?" inquired Tommy. He couldn't imagine things ever being any better than they were back in high school.

"Well, I don't have to worry about being at Zordon's immediate service every five seconds,"

Kimberly realized that, that probably wasn't a very good thing to say when Tommy was already suspicious of her. It just kind of slipped.

"What do you mean Kim?" he grabbed her arm and stopped her from walking, "I thought you always loved being a ranger?"

"I did," said Kimberly immediately in her defense, "I guess it just came out wrong. What I meant to say was that I don't have to worry about Lord Zedd and Rita's constant attacks anymore."

'Oh Tommy please believe me,' she thought realizing that she may have just blown her cover. 'Quick Kimberly change the subject.'

"So you're in Reefside now?" she asked.

Tommy was still pondering her last statement but if she was the evil Pink Ranger then she probably already guessed his motives. He'd have to a least try to throw her off.

"Yeah, it's pretty great down there. It's a lot like Angel Grove. The people are really wonderful and I think I'm really starting to like it."

"I bet you are," said Kimberly under her breath referring to Haley.

"Hmm?" said Tommy.

"Oh, I said it sounds like you are," answered Kim.

The two were silent for a couple of minutes, until they reached the lake. Kimberly was the first to speak.

"So why don't you tell me why you're really here?"

Tommy froze. He was so confused because she should have already known why he was there. What was taking her so long to reveal herself?

"Well, I uh, um..." he began stuttering like a fool.

"Save it Tommy," she said annoyed, "I know."

"You know what?" he asked eagerly.

"I know you're the Black Ranger," she whispered.

Tommy immediately shifted into a battle ready stance. 'I was right,' he thought, 'it's true Kimberly is the Pink Ranger.' Just as his worst fears were confirmed Kimberly began to giggle.

"Cut it out Tommy, I was being serious," she playfully punched him in the shoulder and continued walking in the direction of her house.

Tommy was really lost now. She was acting like nothing had ever happened back in Reefside. She seemed to have no clue.

"I'm being serious too Kimberly," he said puzzled, "how do you know who I am?" Tommy knew Jason hadn't told her about the Dino Powers because he had promised to guard the secret as if it were his own. So then how else could she have known?

"Relax," she said composing herself, "I saw you and the new rangers on the news back in Florida and I immediately recognized your fighting style, your cute little 'hiya', and well just you." She looked up into his eyes and smiled just like she used to.

"Oh." Said Tommy baffled. If she was able to recognize him on the news then surely he must have been correct in recognizing her in person. But then why was she looking at him like that? If she really was evil then how come he couldn't see it in her eyes?

"Why," said Kim jokingly, "did you think I was gonna turn into some big scary monster or something?"

"I'll take care of that for you," said an unwelcomed voice in the distance.


	16. Let the Games Begin

_Hi Guys, I can't believe I actually found time to write another chapter this weekend. But, be warned it's pretty short. Enjoy._

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As Dr. Oliver and Kimberly turned around at the sound of the monstrous voice it became evident that the voice belonged to none other than Goldar.

"Just what I didn't need," said Tommy out loud; taking a fighting stance, "I thought the gold guy was dust."

Kimberly realized that she should probably be reacting the same way as Tommy. But, she honestly did not care one way or the other about the hideous monster and the gray clay men that had just appeared out of thin air.

"Just pretend you care Kimberly," she said under her breath, as she also took a fighting stance.

The putties drew closer and began surrounding the couple.

"So we meet again Tommy," said Goldar, "how's life been treating you?"

"Pretty good. Up until now," responded Dr. Oliver.

"Good to know," said Goldar right before commanding the putties to attack. "The girl is mine!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said Tommy grabbing Kimberly's hand.

She stared up at him noticing the slight smirk that appeared across his face. And for just a split second she felt like Tommy Oliver's girlfriend again.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

Kimberly smiled and returned his grip as the two launched their defense. She lost all sense of what was actually going on. She could feel her body doing flips and kicks but it was as if she were in a world of her own. A world of her and Tommy. Then, just as Tommy sent her off to battle alone Goldar recepted her.

"I hope I didn't just see what I think I saw," said the ugly monster into the Pink Rangers ear. Along with his words came a red stream of smoke escaping his mouth and entering her ear. As she received the smoke she felt a surge of evil come over her.

"All you saw was some damn good acting," she whispered back to him, "now let me go."

"No, Lord Zedd requests your pres-"

Goldar was cut off by a sidekick to his side delivered by Tommy. It took him by so much surprise that he lost his grip on Kimberly and she was free once again. Kimberly knew that Lord Zedd was waiting for her but things were just getting started. She couldn't very well leave now.

As her and Tommy stood back to back she could feel the evil within her surfacing. She knew what she had to do, sabotage the Black Ranger.

As Tommy kicked and punched at the gray goons Kimberly stood casually behind him checking her hair for split ends. Every now and then she would make a "hiya" or a "ha" noise to keep Tommy convinced that she was still in the fight. Pretty soon Dr. Oliver was swarmed with nearly all of the putties and Goldar was not far behind. Finally, after some time the putties had Tommy in their grip and he was helpless against them.

"Tommy, I need you!" yelled Kimberly in a pleading voice. She was out of his view and really didn't need help; she was just leaning up against a tree. She figured that by overwhelming him he would be defeated much easier. She wanted so badly to morph and join the fun, but that would definitely blow her cover.

"Where are you Kim! I can't see you!" he yelled back searching for her as best he could.

He knew that by now the odds were totally against him, but he had to help Kimberly. Just then Goldar took a swing at his stomach with is gold sword. It knocked the air right out of Tommy, but on the plus side it also knocked him out of the putties' grip. As he hit the ground Kimberly came into view, she was running out from behind a tree. He found nothing suspicious about it because he was just glad she was alright.

"Tommy!" she yelled, "Are you okay?"

Just as she knelt down to help him up two putties seized her and were about to take her back to Lord Zedd when everyone heard Dr. Oliver yell, "Dino Thunder power up, ha!"

Kimberly watched carefully as from the black gem on the silver bracelet he wore on his arm emerged a Dino morpher. The mechanism seemed somewhat complicated compared to the original morpher she was used to. Tommy continued to match up the two pieces of the morpher and suddenly he became the Black Ranger.

From then on the battle pretty much belonged to the Black Ranger. Goldar eventually decided to cut his losses and take Kimberly and go. But before he had a chance the Black ranger interfered and took possession of the woman.

"You'll be sorry!" yelled Goldar before he and his army disappeared.

What Tommy didn't know was that Goldar wasn't talking to him, he was yelling at the Pink Ranger because she had made it so difficult for him to retrieve her. That was after all the reason for the attack.

"You alright Kim?" asked the Black Ranger immediately as he surveyed her up and down for bruises.

"I'm fine," said Kimberly coldly.

Tommy was taken aback by her tone.

"Power down!" he yelled after taking a look around to make sure the coast was clear.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he questioned again taking her chin in his right arm and raising her face so he could look directly into her eyes.

He figured if evil was inside her then now would probably be the easiest time to see it. As he gazed into her eyes he saw nothing. And, that was actually the problem because if there was one thing he remembered about his girlfriend, it was her eyes and the way they always sparkled.

Kimberly understood exactly what he was looking for, but she simply couldn't produce it. Her eyes kept wondering to his bracelet. She was captivated by the black gem, she knew it was her key to success.

Tommy noticed her obsession with the silver band.

"What?" he questioned.

"You know me and jewelry," responded Kimberly innocently, "I was just thinking about how much I would have liked for our morphers to come in the form of accessories."

Tommy smiled; he had his old Kimberly back. Not only that he was pretty sure that she wasn't the evil Pink Ranger. She did say and do some strange things during their short time together, but that could just have been the result of time. And, Goldar and the putties attacked her too, which they wouldn't have done if she was on their side. But then why didn't the Pink Ranger come with them? It wouldn't make sense for Zedd to just send Goldar when he had a stronger weapon at his dispose. And of course Kimberly's safety was most definitely an issue now.


	17. Two Very Different People

_Hello everyone!  First of all I want to offer my deepest apologies for taking so long to update.  Life's been pretty hectic latetly.  But, I would like to thank those of you that never forgot about me and continued to poke and prod me to continue the story.  It worked.  Enjoy!_

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Kimberly sat picking at the disgusting conglomeration of what the restaurant called food, on the plate in front of her. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had been so bored. It was a beautiful night on the outside dinning porch at _Piere's_. The stars were twinkling bright, the moon was full, and there was a slight breeze in the air. The only problem was the desperate man sitting in front of her whose attempts to impress her this evening didn't go unnoticed, but were not at all impressive in Kimberly's eyes.

'What in the world was I thinking?' asked Kimberly herself. 'Making Tommy jealous really was not worth all this.' She pictured the look on his face back at the Youth Center when she accepted Skull's invitation for this evening. 'On second thought maybe it was worth it.'

"Kimberly? Kimberly?"

"Huh, what?" she asked as Eugene Skullovich pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Did you hear what I said?"

'No, and I don't care,' she thought to herself. "Um, I'm sorry I'm just a little distracted this evening is all."

Skull looked perturbed. "It's Tommy isn't it?" there was a silence. "Man that guys got a heck of a lot of nerve coming back here like that after all this time." Skull's rage was starting to build.

"No Skull, just calm down," said Kimberly rolling her eyes. "It has nothing to do with Tommy," she tried to think of another excuse. "I was thinking about tomorrow, since it's Monday and all. I was just thinking about a student that's been giving me problems."

Skull was by no means convinced, "Nice try Kim but I know you better than that. You still love him don't you?" He definitely caught Kimberly off guard with that one.

"What?" she asked as her eyes grew wide.

"Come on Kim, you haven't heard a word I've said all night. Here I am trying my best to impress you and you have not once even acknowledged any of it." Skull sank back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest.

He was right of course; Tommy had not escaped her mind for even a minute since their encounter this morning. After Goldar's attack Tommy seemed somehow relieved and relaxed. The rest of their walk to her house was truly like old times. He had shared with her his history from the time he left Angel Grove up until now. He even mentioned the woman from the Cyber Café.

Her name was Haley and she was an MIT graduate. He called her a friend but Kimberly couldn't help but wonder if he was actually telling the truth. She was however very much involved in the creation of the Dino Thunder Rangers, which meant that she knew everything about him, and about high school. At first Kimberly became angry when Tommy told her. How could he have possibly trusted anyone with that information? But as he elaborated more and more on his reasoning she realized that he had done it out of desperation. Tommy had never ever wanted to make trouble for as long as Kimberly had known him. All he wanted to do was help people and this planet. Haley was his only option. But, Kimberly still wasn't dropping the whole girlfriend thing because that hug back at the Cyber Café was pretty friendly.

Tommy also seemed very interested in her life since they last saw each other. She gave him the run down about college and teaching at Angel Grove High. The whole time she was fearing that he would question her about the letter and about the guy whom she had supposedly left him for. But he never brought it up. In fact he did not even once question her about other relationships.

When they finally reached her front door they both just kind of said their good-byes, and Tommy turned around and left just like that. Neither one of them brought up the idea of seeing each other again or even getting together one last time before Tommy went back to Reefside. It was kind of sad really, Kimberly knew that there was no reason for her to continue the torturous game any longer because she had her orders, and they were to destroy Tommy Oliver. She could already feel her self going soft and that just was not acceptable right now. But, she did find it odd that Tommy made no efforts to keep in contact with her. In a way she was disappointed because after seeing the way he looked at her even after all this time, a small part of her believed that he still had feelings for her. But, she must have been mistaken.

"You're right Skull," Kimberly said finally responding to his question, "I was thinking about Tommy," she paused. "Do you actually think a university would be dumb enough to give him a doctorate?"

Back in Reefside Dr. Oliver fumbled with his keys in the dark trying to decipher which one opened his front door. Finally finding a match he leaned into the door as he turned the knob. As he passed from the darkness of the outside into the darkness of the inside he realized just how unfamiliar this home was to him. Going back to Angel Grove had definitely taken its toll on him emotionally and judging by his heavy eyelids it had taken a toll on him physically.

After finding Kimberly and talking with her he had reached the conclusion that she was not the evil Pink Ranger. And as he walked away from her house he was feeling pretty good about how everything had panned out. Kimberly was okay and for the first time he realized that he was going to be okay too. Their lives were different now and just as everything must end, so did they.

He took a deep breath as he sat down his luggage and flipped on the light switch.

"Hey," he heard a groggy female voice say.

He turned and looked at the couch, it was Haley and she had been asleep.

"How long have you been here?" he asked concerned that she was unnecessarily stressing herself out.

"Since this morning. After you called me and told me you were on your way home I figured I'd check things out just to be on the safe side. It's been over twenty four hours since the Pink Ranger has attacked."

"That's true isn't it," stated Tommy as he sat down next to her. "I wonder what her plan is?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," replied Haley. "So, how'd things go in Angel-," she caught her self, "I mean wherever it was you were?"

Tommy glared at her, "I can't believe you used the computer to track me down after I specifically told you that it was in everybody's best interest that you not know where I was going."

"I'm sorry Tommy," Haley whined, "but I couldn't help myself I was worried about you."

"Well, as much as I appreciate your concern I don't appreciate you undermining me!" he banged his fist on the coffee table, knocking some magazines onto the floor.

Haley looked shocked at his outburst, but she quickly went on the defensive, "Don't you dare raise your voice at me Tommy Oliver because I spent these past two days worried sick about you. And whether you like it or not I am always going to be watching your back, because I care so much about you!"

Tommy immediately realized he was being much too harsh on the woman. "Haley, I'm sorry," he pleaded, "I guess this whole situation has just been so stressful for me. It wasn't exactly easy for me to go back to Angel Grove, and it especially wasn't easy for me to investigate the possibility that the love of my life may have been that horrible creature that nearly destroyed us yesterday."

Haley was silent. "Oh Tommy, I didn't realize it was Kimberly that you went to find. I'm sorry sweetie, we don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to."

"No it's fine," said Tommy softly, "it might do me some good to get things off my chest." He took a deep breath, "Luckily Kimberly is not the Pink Ranger. When I finally found her she said and did some things that I have to admit were rather odd. But, looking back on it I probably did the same thing. It was just so weird for us to be together again and there was just so much tension."

Haley rubbed her hand up and down his back offering her support, "Go on."

"Well, I guess the hardest part was realizing that Kimberly and I are just two totally different people and we could never mean anything to each other like we did before." He looked sad.

It was then that Haley turned to him and gathered the hurt and wounded man into her arms.

Flying high above the Earth in Serpentera II was the evil and malicious Lord Zedd and his wife Rita Repulsa who had just caught the end of Tommy's outburst.

"Aw, poor Tommy dear," giggled Rita thrilled at the Black Ranger's sorrow.

Lord Zedd and Goldar were too busy laughing to offer a response.

"Zeddy," yelled Rita over the laughter, "don't you think right now would be an excellent time to launch another attack? The Black Ranger is so low I'd feel sorry for him if I didn't despise him so much."

"No my dear wife," responded Lord Zedd, "although it may seem like an excellent time to wound the already wounded I have an even better idea." He turned to his servant, "Goldar, bring me my Pink Ranger."


	18. Lord Zedd Requests Your Presence

_Hi guys, I was very surprised and very excited to find that there were still a few of you who hadn't given up on me.  So, here's another chapter, it's short but I'm sure it will leave you thirsting for more.  Also, please reveiew, and thanks so much for coming back!_

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Kimberly, walked briskly up the steps of her porch, not once looking back at the car that had just dropped her off. She quickly shoved her key in the door not even stopping to turn the doorknob before she pushed on the door.

The night had been a total disaster and she was pretty sure that Skull had gotten it through his thick head that they simply weren't meant to be together. She wasn't mean about it; she just simply pointed out a few things to him throughout the evening that suggested they were just to different to ever have anything more between them than friendship. He even ended the evening early, convinced that she was still madly in love with Tommy. Which actually wasn't a good thing considering she had spent the whole day trying to convince herself that she wasn't.

As Kimberly made her way to the kitchen to find something real to eat she had a sneaking feeling that she was not alone.

"Who's there?" she asked meekly as she prepared to reach for her morpher.

"You scare much too easily Pink Ranger," responded the husky voice.

"Goldar," said Kimberly as she spotted him in the shadows beneath her stairwell, "what do you want?"

"Lord Zedd has once again requested your presence. And just as a heads up he was not happy about your refusal to his invitation this morning."

Early that morning Goldar had come to retrieve her for Lord Zedd, but she didn't want to leave Tommy, not before she found something on him she could use later, and she had.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." She walked over to Goldar and grabbed onto his sword and the two disappeared.

Aboard Serpentera II, Kimberly released her grip on Goldar and immediately bowed to the wicked couple in the thrones before her.

"My Lord, my Queen."

"Silence!" snapped the evil ruler. "How dare you defy me and show up here with nothing to show for it!"

Kimberly stayed down knowing full well that it was much safer than actually looking up at him.

"But Master," she said softly, "I do have something to show for it. I mean I will if you just give me a chance."

"Continue," he urged curiously and suspiciously.

"Well, during the time that I spent with the Black Ranger I made a few useful and reliable observations."

"Such as?" questioned Rita in her obnoxious voice.

"On his wrist he wears a bracelet and on that bracelet is the gem from which he calls his Dino morpher and draws his powers."

"Big deal Pinkie," squawked Rita as she immediately dismissed the idea of even further listening to the Pink Ranger, "Zeddy and I already knew that. We were watching too ya' know."

"Rita, I will not have you interrupting," said Zedd angrily, "Do go on my dear." He was intrigued.

Kimberly continued, "I realize that this is not necessarily the latest news but what's interesting about it is how accessible the gem really is."

Lord Zedd nodded in agreement, "But, how do you purpose we get to it Pink Ranger? It's accessible to us yet so easily guarded by him."

"That's true," responded the Pink Ranger, "but, if I could just get close to him I'm sure that I could retrieve it for you."

"Ha," protested Rita, "and what makes you so sure he's going to let you get that close to him? He didn't even hug you goodbye. He just walked away like you were yesterdays trash, which I guess in a way you are."

Kimberly really could have gone without Rita's two cents, as if she didn't feel bad enough already. Their encounter was very disappointing, but that didn't mean they couldn't get a second chance.

"I know his feelings for me have depleted throughout the years," announced Kimberly in her own defense. "But, he did fight to save me and more importantly I detected a great deal of jealousy within him when I agreed to go on a date with Skull back at the Youth Center."

Lord Zedd pondered the thought for a second; he then turned to Goldar, who nodded in agreement. Then he turned to Rita who crossed her arms over her chest and raised her nose in defiance.

"So let me get this straight Pink Ranger, your purposing that you seduce him into turning over the gem to you?" Lord Zedd sounded extremely skeptical.

"More like I seduce him into forgetting that he's even wearing the gem," snickered Kimberly.

"Thus allowing you to take it," said Zedd finishing Kimberly's sentence for her.

"Exactly."


	19. Knock, Knock, Surprise

_Hello all! Boy, it has been quite some time since I got my creative juices flowing on this story, but it is my goal to finish this thing. Don't worry I have quite a bit of free time on my hands for the next couple of weeks so I'm all yours. Anyways, I promise things are going to start happening very soon. But here's the next chapter to tide you all over. Enjoy and I can't thank you all enough for the support you've given me on my first attempt at a fic._

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Tommy Oliver was unexpectedly shaken out of his dream as something rapped on his front door downstairs. At first he thought it was just the rain, which was apparently pouring down hard against the dark shingles atop his roof. But, when the noise picked up again he realized that someone was down there. He immediately shot out of bed rather alarmed at the possibilities. Maybe it was Haley or Kira in trouble. Or worse, maybe the Pink Ranger had returned to pick up where she left off.

As he approached the front door he peeked through the window to see who it was, but it was so dark he didn't recognize the figure even when he switched on the porch light. Deciding it was probably one of the girls because the person was so short he opened the door. A hooded figure stepped inside the warm cozy house. She immediately tore off her hood and Dr. Oliver was quite taken by surprise.

"Kimberly?" he questioned rubbing his eyes as he tried to decide if this was a dream or not, "what are you doing here and how did you find me?"

"There's no time for that," huffed Kimberly as she made obvious efforts to catch her breath. "Are all of your doors and windows locked?" she began to survey the room in a panic for possible entrances.

"Yeah, air tight," responded Tommy in confusion. "What's going on Kim?"

Kimberly continued to scurry around the living room looking out all of the windows and jiggling the locks to ensure their security. To Tommy she appeared disheveled and downright scared. He couldn't remember ever seeing her so worried. He finally caught her wrist in his hand before she could get halfway up the staircase.

"Kimberly, stop." He demanded pulling her down to his level. "Just slow down and tell me what in the hell is going on." He was stern yet gentle in his tone.

Kimberly paused and took several deep breaths as she stared into the handsome man's eyes and began to sob. "Oh Tommy it was terrible!" she heaved. "I had just gotten home from my date with Skull and I went up to my room to get ready for bed, when I heard a noise downstairs," she paused to catch her breath. "I figured it was nothing but I went downstairs to check, you know just in case."

Tommy was captivated by her tale, "Go on," he urged.

"Well, when I reached the bottom of the stairs like a dozen putties came out of nowhere and began to attack me! I fought them off pretty good for a little while and actually made it out the front door, but outside it was even worse." The tears began to fall faster down her cheeks. Tommy didn't know how to comfort her other than to take her in his arms and never let go, but given the circumstances he knew it was not an option.

"Goldar was waiting for me on the porch and I ran out of the house so fast I ended up right in his arms. Oh Tommy it was horrible! He started saying something about the Evil Pink Ranger and how I was going to become her practice dummy when suddenly a bolt of lightning struck and luckily took him by surprise long enough for me to wiggle my way free from his grip. I immediately ran to my car, and I thank God that I was still wearing my jacket because my car keys were in the pocket." Kimberly was sobbing uncontrollably now.

"It's okay now sweetheart," Tommy whispered as he gave in to his urges and engulfed her in his arms pulling her into his bare chest; until now he hadn't realized he was shirtless and in his boxer shorts. She didn't seem to mind though.

The two of them stood there for a couple of minutes, his grip was relentless and her sobs continued at a steady pace. Tommy still had so many questions for her, like how in the world she found him. There was no way she had known his address, not many people did. But, until he calmed her down it was impossible to get any answers.

Once Kimberly finally gathered her bearings and was breathing normally, Tommy slowly let her loose from his grasp. She stepped back realizing that he too was now wet. The couple began to laugh and Tommy was relieved that she was beginning to feel more comfortable.

Becoming more serious Tommy straightened up an asked "Did anyone fallow you here?"

"No, Goldar disappeared as I turned the corner of Rose and Oak street," she announced, "But I was so shaken, there was no way I was going to go back home. I didn't know anyone else to turn to. I just needed to feel safe." There was a long silence as Tommy equated what she had just said. He still made her feel safe.

"Well," he began carefully, "your always safe with me. You know that, don't you Kim?"

"Of course I do, Tommy."

He smiled down at her and she returned the gesture. Though, Tommy was beginning to feel quite guilty for dragging Kimberly into this mess. The evil space villains had left her alone just fine before he visited Angel Grove and attracted their attention to the former Pink Ranger.

"It's pretty late," announced Tommy "but, I better contact the others, this could be the lead we're looking for…" he continued to talk but Kimberly didn't hear what he was saying because all she knew was that if he called anyone else her plan would be ruined. They needed to be alone and the longer the better. It had worked out so well up until now. Lord Zedd had teleported her to the small hidden house in Reefside and it did not take her long to muster up the acting skills necessary to pull the scheme off. Tommy had bought it easier than he bought those stupid karate movies. She just secretly prayed that Tommy wouldn't notice that her car was no where in sight. He began to walk towards the entrance of his underground chamber, eager to get started.

"Wait!" shouted Kimberly surprising herself; she had to think fast. "Do you really think that's necessary?" Tommy nodded.

"Of course it is, the other rangers and I have been waiting for the Pink Ranger to make a move for two whole days now and she hasn't even budged, not once. But, at least we know Lord Zedd still has plans for her, now it's up to us to regroup and strategize."

"I guess you're right Tommy, what was I even thinking? Of course you need to utilize every resource you have to get the job done," she paused with a look of disappointment on her face. "It's just that I'm kind of tired, ya' know?"

"I suppose that's understandable," responded Tommy sympathetically. "I'll tell you what, why don't you go ahead and crash in my bed for the night. I'll call the kids, well be downstairs, you won't even hear us, I promise."

'No!' thought Kimberly, 'he can't call the others. How am I supposed to seduce him with four pesky teenagers and one annoying egghead around?'

"Okay," responded Kim coolly as she panicked inside struggling to find an excuse for Tommy not to call the other rangers. "But, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep, by myself that is. I'm just so shook up. Maybe you could just stay with me for a little while, just until I fall asleep, please?"

Tommy couldn't believe what he was hearing; he would stay with her forever if she asked him to. However, this whole Pink Ranger thing really did require his undivided attention, but what would an extra twenty minutes hurt?

"Sure Kim, I'd be happy to stay with you until you fall asleep. How about I call the guys first though? You'll probably be knocked out long before they get here," he chuckled to himself at the idea of attempting to get Conner McKnight out of bed at 3a.m.on a school night.

'Still no good!' screamed Kimberly in her mind.

"That's a good idea," she responded excitedly, "but um, um," 'come on Hart,' she thought 'you can think of something, anything,' She immediately dropped into a motionless heap on Dr. Oliver's living room floor.


	20. It's Mine Now

_Hi guys, here's the next chapter, but I have to admit I'm a little stuck. Any ideas? Even if you don't have any please review, and as always thanks for reading._

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When Tommy reached the top of the stairs the unconscious mass in his arms still felt as light as a feather. When Kimberly originally collapsed on his living room floor he immediately rushed to her aid. After yelling her name many times and lightly tapping her face he realized that she was out cold. He figured it was due to the stress of her day, including Goldar. Little did he know the woman was perfectly fine and just as conscious as he was.

Tommy finally laid her down on his bed making sure that her head was comfortably cradled in his pillow. Kimberly immediately smelled the familiar scent of Tommy on the linens. She almost smiled to herself but then remembered that he was watching her. She began to realize that this whole fainting thing could work in her favor even better than her original plan, which really wasn't planned. She'd had no strategy to seduce her ex-boyfriend, she just figured she'd flirt with him and eventually he would succumb to her kiss. In retrospect it was a horrible idea considering how platonic their relationship had been earlier that day. But now she could act as loopy and uncharacteristic as she wanted because he would just figure she had a concussion or something.

Suddenly the weight on the bed Kimberly laid on became lighter and she realized that Tommy had stood up, perhaps to go call for help, or worse the other Rangers. It was time to wake up. As her eyes opened slowly, she made the typical moaning sound she always heard on TV whenever someone woke up. Tommy was already halfway out the door but heard her and turned around.

"Kim, are you okay?" he asked kneeling at the bedside.

'Perfect' thought Kim, 'this is going to be even easier than I thought, he's feeling guilty.'

"Um, I think so," she choked out blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the light generated by the lamp next to her. "What happened?" she asked alarmed.

"You must have fainted," replied Tommy, "one minute you were talking just fine and then the next you were down on the ground," he frowned, still blaming himself for dragging Kimberly into this mess.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"I'd say a few minutes, not long," he answered.

'Enough small talk Kimberly,' she thought to herself, 'it's time to take care of business and get this over with.'

"Thank you for being so good to me Tommy," she began as she forced her eyes to produce water. "I don't deserve any of this after what I did to you. I was so stupid," she cursed herself.

"Whoa Kim, slow down," interrupted Tommy, "it was a long time ago and I'm fine, really." He silently hoped she couldn't tell that he was lying through his teeth.

"But you don't even know the worst part," Kimberly continued, prodding his curiosity.

"What's that?" asked Tommy slowly, not sure if he wanted to know the worst part.

"I'm still really attracted to you," admitted Kimberly as her eyes wandered to his wrist where the prize rested in the form of the bracelet, which contained the black dino gem.

That was all Tommy ever wanted to hear; yet he couldn't enjoy it because he knew the woman was not in her sane mind.

"You must have hit your head on the floor or something Kim," he assured her, "maybe you better just get some sleep before you say something you will probably regret in the morning."

"I won't regret it Tommy," she protested raising herself to his level with her arms. "I really mean it, I think I still love you," her voice faded into a whisper and she didn't know why. Kimberly suddenly became very confused as she tried to draw a line between Kimberly Hart and the Evil Pink Ranger. Who was speaking?

Tommy was speechless; he wanted so badly to believe her. As he gazed into her gorgeous hazel brown eyes they began to grow bigger as the women leaned towards him. Tommy knew he should back away but it had been so long and he had missed her and this so much. Before he could fight it she had already captured him in a kiss. The kiss seemed to last forever in fact Tommy almost forgot to breathe in between.

In Kimberly's head she couldn't really remember what in the world she was doing in Tommy Oliver's bed. She knew she'd had a pretty good reason yet all that she could think of was Tommy and how wonderful it felt to kiss him again. Suddenly she felt an enormous weight cover her body, it was Tommy. As he lay on top of her he began to explore her with his hands, her hair, the soft skin on her face. Suddenly something cold rubbed against her cheek and she remembered why she was there, the bracelet.

She had to get the bracelet for Lord Zedd, her master. What in the hell came over her? She didn't love this man, she didn't even need this man; he was nobody to her. She was here on a mission and it was her job to complete it. She immediately began to kiss him more forcefully hoping that her wandering hands would be disregarded in the midst of her aggressiveness. Soon she had his left hand in her right hand and she reached for the lamp and flipped off the switch.

It took quite some time for her to figure out how the bracelet on his wrist operated. It was not easy paying attention to the man's wrist when she would much rather be paying attention to the rest of him. But, he didn't seem to notice the attention she was giving his left arm. Finally as their lips parted, so did the clasp on the bracelet, and it was hers.

Tommy immediately tightened his grip on her body realizing that she had just obtained his bracelet.

'Sun of a…' thought Kimberly. How was she going to get out of this one, literally?

"What are you doing," he questioned very seriously looking into her eyes with the help of little moonlight, which trickled in through the white curtains.

Suddenly Kimberly's eyes began to glow bright pink as a vindictive grin grew across her face. "Getting rid of you," she answered wickedly. She was still securely in his grasp but the gig was up and she would soon be free.

Tommy's eyes grew wide in horror. "You're the Evil Pink Ranger," he stated to her and to him self, it was too fresh to feel real.

"That's right handsome, and you used to be the Black Ranger," she teased.

He suddenly grabbed her right hand, which contained the bracelet, and although he was much stronger than she, and all of his weight was pinning down the rest of her body he still didn't have a prayer. Kimberly's body began to grow warm underneath him and eventually became scorching hot, forcing him to release her and get on his own two feet. By then she too was standing up on the other side of the bed.

"It's been fun sweetie, really," she giggled as she dangled the bracelet in her hand. "Don't be so disappointed, it's not you it's me," she erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Kimberly, don't do this!" yelled Tommy, keeping his distance.

"Do what?" she asked seriously. "This?" she then pulled out her morpher and within seconds she was transformed into the Evil Pink Ranger.


	21. I Can't Lose Her

_Hello everybody, here's the next chapter and I have to say it's pretty flippin good. Thank you all for your reviews and I'm still accepting suggestions on where to go with this. So enjoy, and please let me know what you think. _

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The next morning Dr. Oliver awoke to sound of birds chirping outside his window. For a second he smiled to himself at the noise, it was morning and it had all been a horrible nightmare. Reaching for his left arm he felt his wrist certain his dino gem bracelet would be there, but when he felt nothing but skin he jumped up and gazed at his wrist hoping it was there. It wasn't. Replaying the events of the night before in his head he remembered all too well what had happened.

After Kimberly had seized the bracelet and morphed into the Evil Pink Ranger, her and Tommy exchanged a few words, his much nicer than hers. As Kimberly stood before Tommy in her uniform he had no choice but to reason with her and hope things didn't get physical.

"Kimberly," he said immediately, "this isn't you. Lord Zedd has you under a spell. You have to remember who you really are, and it isn't this."

"Shut up, Tommy!" she snapped back grasping the bracelet even harder. "I know exactly who I am, I guess you just never got close enough to find out for yourself."

"What do you mean?" questioned Tommy, "I know you better than anyone else, and you know it." He was hoping to intimidate her thus creating a mental dual that hopefully he'd win because he was of his own mind. Tommy remembered how chaotic his thoughts had been whenever he was evil. He knew exactly what Kimberly was going through and he knew exactly how to treat it.

"Well, if you know me so well then how come I'm the one with upper hand!" she declared.

She did have a point. It was right about now that Tommy was feeling pretty stupid for having let her trick him. But it was only because he didn't want to believe that Kimberly was capable of evil. Back on the Island of Muranthias when she and Jason had been sacrificed to Maligore she had turned evil. Looking back that was probably the worst moment of Tommy's life up to that point. It was one thing for her to move to Florida and then send him a stupid Dear John letter. But it was something entirely different to not have her anymore at all. Right now that was the case. Kimberly was no longer Kimberly, but on the inside Tommy knew that she was still there.

"I let you win Kim," he admitted to her and himself, "but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let Zedd win."

"Let me win?" chuckled Kimberly, "You didn't let me win, I beat you. Just like I'm going to do now!"

Before Tommy knew it she had scaled the bed like it was nothing and was closing in on him. He had really pissed her off this time. He probably shouldn't have said that last thing about letting her win. Now he gave her a reason to have to prove herself.

When she reached Tommy he greeted her with a snap kick to the chin. He really hated to do it but if he didn't maintain the upper hand then he would probably be left with no hand. Kimberly fell back onto the bed dropping Tommy's bracelet next to her. Tommy acted fast and retrieved it before she had a chance to recover.

As she recovered from the blow Kimberly stood up with more furry than she had ever had before. She had to get that bracelet back, what would Lord Zedd do to her if she returned without it?

Before she could act Tommy had done it, he had uttered those horrible words "Dino thunder, power up, ha." He stood before her in all his glory.

For a second Kimberly thought all hope was lost. She had not yet actually taken on the Black Dino Ranger, and although she would never admit it she was scared. She knew what Tommy Oliver was capable of. He had saved her and the other Rangers countless times all by himself against some of Rita and Zedd's toughest monsters. Now she was the monster and would have to be the first to conquer him. As she stood up Tommy backed away from her slowly.

"I don't want to fight you Kim," he said compassionately, "But, I'm not going to let you win this time." He absolutely hated the way things were going.

Kimberly immediately recognized the hurt in his voice. Lord Zedd had been right; she was Tommy's weakness and right now was the best time to take advantage of that.

"Let's get this over with Black Ranger," she uttered as she took her stance.

"Your move Kim," responded Tommy regretfully.

Kimberly immediately snapped her leg up just as Tommy had done to her, but this time she struck the man on the side of the head. He recovered quickly and although the quarters was small he found a way to maneuver around so quickly she never saw his fist coming towards her. It hit her stomach and she momentarily had the air knocked out of her but was on the defense in no time. It was her turn, so she returned the punch directly to his stomach and his reaction was similar to hers. But unlike Tommy, she did not give him time to recover because she immediately knocked his feet out from under him causing him to crash to the floor. Kimberly then stood over him with her foot to his throat.

"So, you gonna gimme that gem or do I have to take it?" she asked.

"Neither," choked Tommy as he struggled for air.

Kimberly knew exactly how this battle was going to end, there was no way Tommy was going to give up that gem, and there was definitely no way that she was going to maintain the upper hand. Her position right now was just pure luck; there was no way that he was fighting at one hundred percent. He was simply trying to tire her out and Kimberly knew it. She had no choice but to provoke him and put herself out of her own misery.

So, she reached for her blade blaster, and just as she guessed Tommy had his Brachio staff in his hand before she could even aim at him. He struck her in the knees and pain surged through her entire body as she dropped to the floor, releasing him. The pain was excruciating in spite of her powers. As she struggled to sit up Tommy stood above her.

"Just stay down Kim," he ordered, "it will make things a lot easier," he pointed his Brachio staff directly in her face.

"You know I can't do that Tommy," she said softly just before aiming her blade blaster at his chest, but before she could pull the trigger he had already done it, sending a great surge of power through her tiny little body.

Tiny surges surrounded her body for a few moments, at first they were black and white and eventually they turned to pink as her body returned to its regular unmorphed state. She appeared unconscious and lifeless on the ground.

Tommy was stunned. He didn't mean to do it, he hadn't realize how much power he had forced into that last blow. Now, he felt helpless and vicious. He didn't deserve to win; he didn't even deserve to know the woman. Rushing to her side he cradled her in his arms.

"Kimberly, I'm so sorry!" he yelled over and over again with no response from her.

He hugged her to him as he felt her move slightly.

Kimberly opened her eyes slowly; a faint smile crossed her face. "Tommy," she whispered, "I forgive you."

Tommy was elated, she was alive. "Kimberly you're going to be okay, I promise," he assured.

"No Tommy," she responded, "it's over, but it will be okay," tears came to her eyes. "This is it."

Tommy couldn't believe what he was hearing, he couldn't lose her, he just couldn't.

"But before I go," she continued "I just want to see your beautiful face one more time, please."

"Anything you wish, Kimberly," he said as he powered down, revealing himself to her.

Tears began to fog his view of his one true love's beauty and he cursed them for their obstruction, and just as he went to clear them away with his left hand he felt it, a massive hit to his forehead, perhaps it was her elbow, or maybe her fist, but Kimberly Heart had once again played him for a fool, and knocked him out cold.


	22. She Seduced You?

_Hey guys, I really enjoyed reading your reviews, thanks for returning the favor. You write for me and I'll write for you. Anyway, the last chapter got a wonderful response and now I fell as though your expectations of me are pretty high. But, the good news is that I like to rise to every challenge, so here's my next attempt. And, by all means let me know what you think. Thanks for reading and reviewing!!!_

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"Excellent my Pink Ranger, you have served me well," said Lord Zedd as he took the bracelet containing the black dino gem away from Kimberly.

"I have to say Kimmy," chimed in Rita, "I'm impressed. I honestly didn't think you had it in you. I guess you really are evil."

Kimberly didn't respond; she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult. Did she really want to be evil?

"So what's next in your brilliantly devious plan my dear husband?" questioned Rita as she admired the bracelet.

"Well Rita, I think it's time we find out for our selves what this silly thing can do. Pink Ranger get over here!" he demanded.

Kimberly stepped up to the monster and bowed silently.

"Enough with the formalities, just put this on," he said shoving the bracelet around her wrist."

"Couldn't that be dangerous to the Pink Ranger, my Lord?" asked Goldar.

"Why yes, it could," chuckled Zedd. "The good power might resist the bad power causing quite a bad reaction that could very well be fatal. But, you win some you lose some, right Pinkie?" said Zedd erupting into a fit of laughter as Rita joined in.

Kimberly immediately reached for the clasp on the bracelet. There was no way she was going to take such a chance. It wasn't worth it; she could defeat those pathetic power pukes without the Black Ranger's powers. But, before she could undue the clasp Zedd zapped her with his staff, infusing her and the gem with evil and one priority, to destroy the Power Rangers at all costs. So, she straitened up an yelled "Dino thunder power up, ha."

The second Dr. Oliver heard the knock on his front door he rushed to open it. On the other side he found Conner, Kira, Ethan, Trent, and of course Haley staring at him eagerly. Earlier that morning he had immediately ran downstairs directly after replaying the events of the horrible night before in his head. He'd contacted each Ranger individually demanding that they come over that very minute. But considering that everyone was still in bed, recovering from a night of cramming for their Biology test the next day, it took them a minute or two to wake up and get dressed.

"Well, are you going to let us in or not Dr. O?" uttered Conner impatiently.

"Of course," responded the teacher pulling the door completely open and stepping aside for everyone else to come in.

Everyone rushed in realizing that they had no idea why they were there. Had it been a social call? Dr. O. wasn't making any attempt to explain anything. What they didn't understand though, was that he was just hesitant to admit that he had been played and beaten because he thought that he could handle everything by himself. But, wow, was he sadly mistaken.

"So," said Kira annoyed, "are you gonna tell us why you made me skip my shower this morning or are we just gonna stand here and watch dust collect?"

"A little of both I suppose," answered the doctor dryly. "Why don't we take this downstairs, I promise I will reveal everything to you."

"Everything," questioned Haley.

"Yes, everything," responded Tommy.

"We're not gonna be late for school again are we?" whined Ethan. "Randall already has it in for all of us, you especially Dr. O."

"That's really not my biggest concern right now Ethan," responded Dr. Oliver seriously. "Just get downstairs and you'll understand why."

Downstairs the Rangers made themselves comfortable in compliance with Dr. Oliver's request that they do so. Once they were all settled he took his regular seat facing them. Everyone appeared very attentive and eager to finally learn what was up with the Pink Ranger.

"Well, I suppose it's time to begin," said Dr. O. Nobody responded or even moved because they didn't want to delay things any more than they already had been.

"First I should probably tell you where I went on Saturday night," he took a deep breath. "I went to Angel Grove."

Conner flinched as if to say something but the others starred him down so fiercely he didn't dare speak.

"Yes, Conner," continued the teacher, "the Angel Grove where the Power Rangers originated," he paused for a second. "I went there to confirm my suspicions that Kimberly Hart, the original Pink Ranger was in fact Zedd and Rita's evil ranger."

Kira gasped in surprise, "you mean we've been fighting one of our own?"

"Quiet Kira," demanded Ethan, "let the man finish what he has to say!"

"Thank you Ethan," injected Dr. Oliver, "but there's no need to snap at Kira." Kira nodded her head in defiance to Ethan.

"I'll get to that question in a moment Kira," he continued. "Anyways, I did find Kimberly in Angel Grove and I was able to speak with her for quite some time. She said some strange and questionable things, but nothing so extreme that it would cause me to believe that she was guilty. We were even attacked by Goldar and some putties in the park and it appeared they were after her." Dr. Oliver had to take a moment to breathe.

"Initially I felt terrible for involving her in this whole mess, but I soon found out that I had no reason to feel bad because after I left Angel Grove she showed up at my door last night." Everyone gasped in shock, but again nobody said anything.

"She spun this whole story to me that Goldar had come after her again and I actually believed her. Then she fainted and I truly felt like garbage. So, I carried her up to my room where she woke up and fooled me into allowing her to steal my dino gem bracelet."

The teenagers immediately began to giggle and Conner just couldn't help himself he had to say something. "Let me guess Dr. O. the little lady seduced you." The chuckles became even louder.

"It doesn't matter how she did it," snapped Dr. Oliver in annoyance, "the point is she now possess my dino gem, which means I don't have it, so we are plum out of luck."

Everyone became serious again.

"Your joking right?" questioned Trent.

"I wish that were the case," responded Dr. O, "but it's true, the Pink Ranger has the upper hand."

"But on the plus side the dino gem is useless to her right?" cut in Kira.

Dr. Oliver gave Haley a very unsure look as she returned the same expression.

"Well, that depends," answered Haley. "The gem is selective in who it responds to, but because Tommy and his powers bonded with Kimberly and her powers so many times back when they were a team, it is very possible that there could be traces of Tommy's energy still inside of her." Everyone appeared puzzled.

"You see," cut in Tommy, "many times when someone accepts the power it stays with them, even if they give it up. The coin or gem, the costume, the weapons, and the physical power may leave their body but the real power is still there."

"Cool," said Ethan, "so that means that we can never really lose our powers completely, right?"

"Well," responded Tommy, "that's true to a certain extent, many rangers including myself have resumed their powers for a short time when it was absolutely necessary, but it doesn't always work for everyone."

"Do you think it could maybe work for you when the Evil Pink Ran- I mean Kimberly shows up again?" questioned Trent.

"No," stated Dr. Oliver, "as long as the gem is in someone else's hands I can't access the power."

"Well," suggested Kira, "maybe you could resume one of you old ranger powers."

"I'm afraid it's not that easy Kira," said Dr. O. hating to break the bad news. "As long as the dino gem exists I cannot use any of my old powers unless my gem had been bonded with them before, like the Zeo powers were bonded with the Turbo powers when they were created. The only way I could be a ranger now is if I had an actual physical coin, or crystal, or direct power source."

Everyone was speechless, they all knew that their destruction was near.

"But, I'm not terribly worried about not having my powers right now because what is more important is the question of whether or not Kimberly can assume the black dino powers."

"I thought you said you couldn't mix powers unless they had been bonded together when one of them was created," questioned Conner. Everyone was amazed that he had actually comprehended all of the information Dr. Oliver had thrown at them.

"Well, normally they can't, Conner," answered Dr. O, but in this case the power has an enabler in the form of Rita and Zedd's magic. Because they created the evil pink power they can still bond it with the dino gem if it will accept Kimberly. And, I hate to say it but I'm pretty sure that it will."

"But there's still a chance that it won't, right Tommy?" questioned Haley.

"I guess it's possible, but you guys don't understand how close Kimberly and I were," Dr. Oliver began to get a little choked up at the memory. "I don't just mean our romantic relationship, I mean our bond as teammates. She was always there for me in a battle and I tried my hardest to always be there for her. After she gave up her powers a part of me deep down inside felt it too."

Nobody knew what to say, so they all just sat there in silence, it seemed that all hope was lost.

"Dr. Oliver," Kira finally broke the silence, "are you saying that victory is hopeless for us?"

"I'm not saying that at all Kira," answered Dr. O assuringly, "I'm just saying it's going to be one hell of a ride."

All four teenagers and even Haley broke out in a smile. That was all the kids needed to hear; a little encouragement from their leader and they were once again optimistic. But, little did they know that Dr. Oliver was in fact pretty sure that this would be their final battle. The Pink Ranger had annihilated the Rangers the first time they encountered her and now that she had the black gem, the most powerful gem, things were most definitely in her favor. But, there was no reason to discourage the teenagers because if there's one thing being a Ranger taught Tommy it was that anything is possible.

"So what's next?" asked Trent.

"Well," said Dr. Oliver, "we wait."

"Does this mean the test is still on?" whined Connor.

Everyone looked at him and simultaneously shoved him.

"What?" he responded, "It was a good question."


	23. Conner's Punishment

_Hello everyone, how are we all doing today? Well I hope. I really liked your reviews of the last chapter and guess what, I no longer have writter's block. I know exactly where I'm going with this, well sort of. Alright, enough of that, let's get on with it. Things are going to start to get pretty darn exciting around here in the next few chapters, so don't forget to come back. Thanks again for reading and by all means review!_

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"Okay class, everyone take their seat. Class has begun," announced Dr. Oliver as he dug through his briefcase in search of the tests, which he had thank God made up Friday night and not waited until Sunday night to write. Things had been calm all morning much to his and the other Rangers' surprise. The Evil Pink Ranger had not yet made her move and all of the other Rangers had been on edge all day in anticipation.

It was now two o'clock exactly, only fifty minutes left, last class of the day. Dr. Oliver was also thankful that he so far hadn't had to leave class early, thus pissing off Randall. Another concern had also been eating at him all day, where was Mesogog? He hadn't budged all weekend, was it possible that he too was afraid of the Evil Pink Ranger? Dr. O decided that it was best to just worry about one villain at a time. Conner on the other hand had silently wished all day that the Evil Pink Ranger would attack so he wouldn't have to take the dreaded Biology exam. He had studied, yet somehow nothing sunk in.

Dr. O. began passing out the papers, "Okay everyone, this covers chapters ten through fourteen, if you studied you should be fine," he said giving Conner a 'you can do it' grin as he set the test down on his desk. Conner returned his gaze with an apologetic look. He always wanted to please Dr. Oliver and he knew he was successful in doing so as a Ranger, but outside the costume he wasn't so lucky.

"You may all begin," declared Dr. Oliver once the last test was distributed. Everyone turned their papers over just as they heard a terrible crash outside, which shook the ground and the walls around them. The students immediately became alarmed.

"Everyone just calm down and stay in your seats," ordered Dr. Oliver as he rushed to the door. Down the hall he spotted the librarian, Mrs. Spade. She too had heard the crash and was in search of someone with answers.

"Mrs. Spade," called Dr. O as he receipted the woman's attention.

"Dr. Oliver," answered the plump middle aged woman, "did you hear that? What was it?" she asked not waiting for a response in between questions.

"I don't know," replied Dr. O, "but would you mind watching my class while I go check it out?"

"Sure, this is my free period," agreed Mrs. Spade.

Dr. Oliver peeked his head back into the classroom noticing the distressed looks on Conner, Kira, and Ethan's faces.

"Everyone just continue with the test, Mrs. Spade is going to sit in for me while I go check things out. Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing."

"Dr. O," Ethan blurted out wanting in on the action, but knowing there was nothing he could do.

"Just stay put Ethan," ordered the doctor as he turned to walk out.

"But I'm not feeling well!" shouted Kira as she put her hand on her forehead. Didn't Dr. O get it? They were a team; there was no question that the commotion hadn't been caused by the Pink Ranger. Why did he always have to insist on doing everything alone?

"Very well Kira," said Dr. Oliver reluctantly, "Ethan take her to the school nurse."

"But Dr. O?" interrupted Conner not understanding what was going on. He was just upset that he was going to be left to take and fail the test.

"Fine, Conner," said Dr. O with agitation in his voice, why don't you help Ethan.

"Sweet," mouthed Conner stoked about his 'get out of jail free card.'

Once in the hallway Dr. Oliver began his orders. "Okay guys, this could be it."

"Then why didn't you want us to come with you?" questioned Kira.

"I just wanted to be sure it was who we thought it was before I took you out of class. It's going to start to look very suspicious if I get you all out of class every time a monster attacks."

"Oh," said Kira apologetically.

"Anyway, I'll go get Trent out of math and we'll check out north campus. Kira you're east, Ethan you're west, and Conner you're south."

"Of course I always get stuck with the stupid parking lot, where nothing ever happens," complained Conner.

"Just do it pretty boy," ordered Kira in frustration. Leave it up to Conner to make a fuss during an emergency.

Conner wandered out the south doors of the science and math building and entered the main parking lot. He kicked at the loose gravel at his feet positive that this was a total waste of his skills. As he watched the pebbles scatter he notice a shinny piece of metal on the ground and as he continued walking he ran into more and more until he finally looked up and saw it's source, Principal Randall's car. The convertible had been demolished almost beyond recognition. If it hadn't have been in the "Reserved for Principal Randall," parking spot he wouldn't have made the connection.

As he stared at the gigantic heap of metal he suddenly realized that he was probably going to be the one to find the dreaded Pink Ranger. That test back in the safety of the classroom was looking pretty good right about now. Just as he reached his bracelet to his mouth to alert the other Rangers of his findings he was interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a female voice behind him.

Conner turned around slowly afraid of what he was going to find.

"Like my sculpture?" questioned the Pink Ranger. Conner didn't say anything. "What's the matter hot stuff, you afraid of little ol' me?" she continued as Conner finally faced her. At first he didn't recognize the Pink Ranger, she was still pink, black, and gold, but now her costume had much more black on it. And, her helmet began to resemble Dr. Oliver's. Dr. O had been right; Kimberly had retained his dino gem's powers.

"No, I'm not afraid of you," replied Conner, doing his best to hide his fear, "I just wanted to show off my best feature." He had to come up with something to keep her occupied long enough for the others to reach him.

"And what's that?" asked the Pink Ranger puzzled.

"My profile," he responded casually.

Kimberly was completely dumbfounded, was this kid for real? And everyone said she was shallow in high school. 'Enough of this foolishness,' she thought as she charged at the teenage boy.

Conner saw her coming and some how was able to remain calm well enough to remember that he too had a secret weapon, his speed. As she lunged for him he quickly dodged her advances and she wound up running into the junk pile formerly known as Randall's car.

"I don't like it when you do that!" shouted Kimberly as she turned around to face Conner who was in the midst of preparing to morph.

"Dino thunder, power-"

The Pink Ranger also used her speed and was successful in kicking Conner hard, right in the stomach, interrupting his power call. It knocked the air out of him and he found himself on the ground.

"Nice shot, Kimberly," Conner choked out as he lay on the ground struggling for air.

"I guess Dr. Oliver told you all about me, huh," said Kimberly proudly.

"He may have mentioned you, yes," replied Conner not wanting to give her the satisfaction.

"Tell me sweetie, did he speak fondly of me?" She was really full of herself now.

"Of you, no," answered Conner, "of the former Pink Ranger, yes he did."

"But, we're the same person," pouted Kimberly.

"No, you're not a person, you're a monster," replied Conner putting her in her place as he finally gained back his strength and was able to once again stand up.

Kimberly couldn't understand why, but the silly little teenage boy's last comment really hurt her. Was it true? Had she become a monster? She never wanted to be a monster, she just wanted to make Tommy pay, but at whose expense? 'Never mind that,' she thought, it was time to take her revenge and if it meant destroying this kid along the way then so be it.

"You shouldn't call people names, son," she returned, "it's not very nice. I guess I'll have to punish you for that one." She reached for her weapon and aimed it at Conner and fired.


	24. I'm Sorry Kimberly

_Hi guys, sorry this update took so long, I guess I wasn't feeling motivated. But, this chapter is pretty exciting. I apologize if Kimberly is too mean, but as you've discovered in the previous chapters things aren't always what they seem so don't let it discourage you from coming back. Please. Also, as always thanks for the reviews and please don't hesitate to give more and suggestions are always welcome too. Enjoy._

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As the threateningly powerful pink ray raced toward Conner McKnight he closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact. It was going to be big and if he was lucky he'd live to actually feel it. But, it never came. As he slowly opened his eyes in confusion he was very surprised to find nothing but Principal Randall's dilapidated car sitting in front of him looking pathetic. However, when Conner finally got to his feet he was able to see over the junk pile and for a moment he wished that he'd never been saved.

Kira Ford had in fact come to his rescue, Conner was just too shocked to hear her high pitched pterodactyl scream, which miraculously blocked the Pink Ranger's blow. Somehow the two girls had worked there way away from the young man and were now a good twenty yards away. But now, Conner felt a rush of terror come across him, not for himself, but for Kira. She was in the middle of a battle with the Pink Ranger unmorphed and unprotected.

Kira exchanged a few words with the Pink Ranger, and although Conner was too panicked to make any of them out he could see that she had genuinely pissed off the Pink Ranger. Yet, to his surprise the woman chose to seek revenge on her own without the help of any of her weapons or arsenal. The Pink Ranger kicked Kira square in the abdomen. Toppling over in pain Kira left herself very susceptible to the Pink Ranger's wrath as she grabbed a lock of Kira's hair and drug her into the ocean of the students' automobile's.

Meanwhile, while all of this was going on Conner had successfully managed to morph and for some odd reason it seemed that the Pink Ranger had forgotten all about him. This wasn't good because that meant she had only one thing in mind, the destruction of the Yellow Ranger.

The Pink Ranger had managed to drag the annoying teenage girl halfway across the parking lot by the hair, not hesitating to bang Kira into the side of a car every now and then. Although in extreme pain, Kira resisted her the whole way. When they reached the shrubbery, which led into the forest The Pink Ranger finally stopped, but her grip was just as tight as ever.

The pain was relentless and Kira eventually dropped to her knees groaning.

"Oh does that hurt?" asked the Pink Ranger sarcastically.

"No, it feels wonderful," responded Kira in the same tone.

"Don't get smart with me girlie," scolded the Pink Ranger into Kira's ear, "I can make things very uncomfortable for you."

"But they're so comfortable already," huffed Kira in between breaths.

The Pink Ranger immediately jerked the girls head back even harder and stared down into her face with only inches between the two.

"You don't take instructions very well Yellow Ranger, but that's all going to change right now."

Kira closed her eyes and tried to picture herself somewhere else, anywhere but there.

"Look at me!" demanded the Pink Ranger angrily.

Kira opened her eyes in compliance.

"Hey, you're get'n better already," whispered the Pink Ranger. "Now, for the real instructions. Use that tacky little bracelet of yours to contact Dr. Oliver and get him here. Now," stated the Pink Ranger calmly.

Kira struggled for a moment hoping that by some miracle she could break free or at least keep all of her hair. But, it was hopeless to fight, yet it just wasn't in her to comply. "No," she answered sternly.

"I don't think you heard me," said the Pink Ranger as she once again jerked on Kira's hair, "do it now or I'll do you in."

Kira wasn't totally against the idea of having Dr. O come to her rescue, in fact she preferred it. But, if it meant obeying any order given to her by the Pink Ranger then Kira wanted nothing to do with it.

"Go ahead pinkie," choked Kira, "I'm not afraid of you," Kira immediately regretted what she had just said.

"Oh you're not?" questioned the Pink Ranger who was beginning to get extremely irritated with the Yellow Ranger, "I guess I'll have to show you just how afraid of me you should be." The Pink Ranger wrapped her right hand around Kira's neck and began to slowly squeeze.

Kira couldn't believe it, the Pink Ranger was choking her, she was going to be strangled to death and there was nothing her powers could do to stop it. Not even her pterodactyl scream could work now, with her windpipe slowly closing.

"Are you ready to fallow instructions yet?" questioned the Pink Ranger.

Kira pondered the question for a moment; was her pride really worth her life? Before she could decide everything began to grow dark as she fought a losing battle to keep her eyes open. Then came silence.

As Ethan James turned the corner around the library he approached the main parking lot. His assigned area had proven to be free of evil. He figured that Conner was probably not taking his mission too seriously and would need some motivation. Now, like Conner he too noticed the pathetic remains of Randall's car. 'Serves her right,' thought the young man. But, unlike Conner he decided that whatever was strong enough to do this much damage required a Power Ranger and not a teenage kid with a hidden super power. So, Ethan took his stance and yelled, "Dino thunder power up, ha."

Once in uniform he surveyed the lot for any sign of the Red Ranger, but not a clue in sight. So, he decided to scout the perimeter of the parking lot and before long he reached the shrubbery, which led into the forest. As the Blue Ranger went deeper and deeper into the dark landscape he heard the familiar yell of a friend, Conner.

When Ethan finally reached the source of the yell he was astonished at what he found. The Red Ranger was in the midst of a battle with the dreaded evil Pink Ranger, but this battle wasn't for the fate of the world, it was for the possession of the still and tiny body of Kira Ford.

Leaping into action Ethan immediately went after Kira, who was now laying on the ground with shrubbery in her hair, dirt on her face, and looking as peaceful as ever. The Blue Ranger did not want to even think that the lovely Yellow Ranger could be gone and for his sanity convinced himself that she was merely unconscious. But, before he could reach her, the Pink Ranger had detected his presence and slowed him down with a painful kick in his side. The blow sent him into a tree and then to the ground.

"Ethan!" yelled Conner who was also on the ground, "Hold on, Trent and Dr. O are on their way!" Conner had put a call into his leader and Trent immediately after he found Kira helpless and alone.

"Yippee!" squealed the Pink Ranger as she clapped her hands together, "I can't wait for the handsome doctor to see what I've done and what I'm about to do."

The Red and Blue Rangers did not like the sound of that, but they were pretty confident because they at least had their powers.

"Don't get so cocky just yet!" declared the Blue Ranger as he stood up and prepared for a dual with the Pink Ranger.

"Why," replied Kimberly, "are you gonna stop me little boy?"

"If I have to," said the Blue Ranger confidently.

"Then do it!" yelled the Pink Ranger as she charged at the teenager and made the first hit, strait to Ethan's head.

The Blue Ranger dodged her fist and plowed his into her stomach. Next, without hesitation he kicked her in the chin sending her backwards where she was not so warmly receipted by the Red Ranger who kicked her in the back causing her fall forward. The Pink Ranger continued to be juggled back in fourth between the two Rangers who were enraged with anger for the woman because of what she had done to their best friend.

The Pink Ranger couldn't believe their strength, they were just two puny high school boys. How could they be beating her? She was not going to take this anymore. Just as the Red Ranger brought her to the ground with a Karate chop to her throat she reached for the Brachio staff, which now belonged to her. Using it to fight off the two Rangers she began to realize it's power and she began to understand how to use it correctly. Summoning the weapons incredible power the Pink Ranger launched a huge blow at the Red and Blue Rangers.

Dr. Oliver and the White Ranger arrived just in time to see their teammates fall to the ground in defeat. Although morphed, neither boy made a stir, they were still, as still as Kira. Then, their power left them.

It hurt Dr. Oliver deeply to see the two boys lie there motionless, but it pained him the most to see the pretty young girl lying in the dirt lifeless. Tears swelled up in his eyes, not out of pain but out of anger. He knew it was ridiculous to take the evil Pink Ranger on without his powers, it was like taking on himself multiplied times three, maybe even four. But, he couldn't restrain himself. At that moment he didn't care who the Pink Ranger was, he was going to get his revenge.

He lunged at her and actually made contact to her chest with his foot. She cried out in pain. The Pink Ranger had not been expecting it at all. She had been too busy basking in her glory and the distressed look on Dr. Oliver's face.

Before the Pink Ranger could gather her bearings the White Ranger had joined the action. He punched her in the stomach not allowing her to catch her breath. Then once again Dr. Oliver launched an attack and it was not fun. At some point, the Pink Ranger hadn't realized when exactly, but she dropped the Brachio staff. By the time she noticed it Dr. Oliver was swinging it at her head. He was like a brand new person, she had been correct, Tommy Oliver did deserve what was coming to him.

Once the staff made contact with the Pink Ranger's helmet she once again dropped to her knees. Tommy stood above her with the staff pointed directly at her face. The White Ranger, although devastated about Kira and his two best friends, offered encouragement beside Tommy.

"Tommy," the Pink Ranger began to plead, "it's me Tommy, Kimberly. Please don't do this."

Tommy could hear her sobbing beneath her helmet but for some reason he didn't care. She had taken advantage of his heart way too many times recently, and more importantly in the past.

"No, Kimberly," he responded coldly, "it's not you," he paused. "The Kimberly I once knew would never hurt me like you have done these past couple of days. You're nothing but another one of Zedd and Rita's henchmen."

At this point Kimberly really didn't care if Tommy finished her off, she was just pissed that he was comparing her to Goldar, she was no one's puppet.

"You say the Kimberly you knew would never hurt you like I have?" she questioned. "Do you recall a little letter I sent you? I think it went something like 'Dear Tommy, you've always been like a brother to me. But, I've found someone else.'"

Tommy once again became insanely enraged with the woman before him. She simply snickered at his response. He tightened his grip on the Brachio staff as it began to glow with its stored up power.

"Go ahead and do it Tommy," Kimberly encouraged. "I really don't care if this is it because I know that you'll never be able to live with yourself knowing you killed your precious Kimberly."

She had been right and Tommy knew it, he could never go on knowing he had killed the love of his life. But, he couldn't let Kimberly win. It was either her or the millions of lives that depended on him. It was the most difficult decision by far that he had ever had to make, but it was an obvious one.

"I'm sorry Kimberly," he whispered as he closed his eyes and sent a beam of power directly at her, which he knew would be her demise.


	25. It's All Your Fault

_Whew was this a long one! I guess this is taking a lot longer to write than I expected. But, as I'm sure you would all agree it's getting pretty exciting, so it's totally worth it. Also, please keep in mind that I like to fool you guys so don't declare everyone dead or alive just yet. Also don't forget to review and please come back for more._

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Once the blast generated by the Brachio staff subsided Dr. Oliver lowered his hands from his face to evaluate the damage. His eyes were still closed because he greatly feared seeing the result of the decision he had just made. But, when he finally gathered the strength to look down at what remained of the Pink Ranger, his Kimberly, he wasn't quite so taken aback. She lay there, still as the other three Rangers she had defeated. She was still morphed but she did appear disheveled and possibly lifeless. Dr. Oliver wanted so badly to rush to her aid and take her in his arms but he had finally learned his lesson.

The White Ranger moved towards her but was stopped by Dr. Oliver.

"No Trent. Just leave her," directed Dr.O.

"Why?" questioned Trent in confusion, "Don't you want to know if she's okay? I thought you loved her."

"I never loved that," responded Dr. Oliver coldly as he pointed his Brachio staff at what he saw now to be a creature.

Trent was completely speechless. Dr. O. was always so kind and caring, why was he being so mean? If it had been Kira he never would have just left her there like that, even after all the destruction she caused. Speaking of Kira, Trent remembered that she still lay helpless on the other side of the clearing. He turned to go to her but once again was stopped by his leader.

"Don't go anywhere Trent," he ordered.

"But, she's defeated and Kira needs me," Trent protested in anger.

"No," answered the doctor dryly, "she's not dead."

"What are you talking about Dr.O? Did you see the size of that blast? There's no way she survived it, she hasn't even moved a centimeter."

"That may be so, but there's no way that the blast killed her," stated Dr. Oliver, "You can't destroy a power with its own power. She's just playing us," he continued. "The second you step away she's gonna have me for lunch."

Trent scratched his head. Maybe Dr. O. was delirious. The shock of it all was just too much for him to bear. It was probably just a defense mechanism; he didn't want to face the fact that he had just killed the love of his life.

"Kimberly get up!" Dr. Oliver began to yell harshly. "Get up! Get up now!"

Trent felt horrible for the guy, of course it was hard seeing her like this, but he had to snap out of it.

"Dr.O!" yelled Trent. "Dr. O. stop it! She's gone, just let her go, please!" he pleaded with the man as he wrapped his arm around Dr. Oliver's back to contain him.

"Get off me Trent!" he ordered as he shook loose from the boy's grasp.

"Kimberly get up!" he continued, "If you don't get up then I really will hurt you this time..." He was so enraged that his words began to get muffled.

Trent moved toward the woman before Dr. Oliver could stop him; he had to remove the girl's helmet and show Dr. Oliver that she was a person, and she was gone. As he reached her he knelt down quickly beside her and stretched for the clasps on her helmet.

"Trent, NO!!!!!" screamed Dr. Oliver as he rushed to his student, but he was too late.

The Pink Ranger had already "returned from the dead," and had quickly grabbed her weapon from its holster and stabbed it through the young man's abdomen when he knelt over her. It wasn't a flesh wound or anything; in fact it was more like a laser had gone through him. There was no visible wound, but inside he definitely felt it. Trent killed over next to the woman and before long the white dino gem's powers left his body just as they had left the others'.

The Pink Ranger jumped up and looked down at the poor teenage boy.

"He was kind of annoying anyway," she chuckled to Dr. Oliver, "didn't you think?"

Dr. Oliver was definitely pissed off at this point. Kimberly had managed to obliterate his entire team and it was entirely possible that she had also taken their lives, no one had moved since they had originally fallen.

"You know, this isn't right!" he came back at her. "They're just kids, just like you and I were!"

"That's true," she agreed, "But, just like you and I, kids grow up!" She jumped at him and kicked him in the stomach.

He bent forward in reaction to the pain, but he wasn't going to give up, not yet.

"And what's so terrible about growing up?" questioned Tommy as he huffed to catch his breath.

"Well," she answered as she prepared to make another hit, "people change, and not always for the better." She kicked him again in the shoulder.

"I suppose no one would know that better than you," responded Tommy as he grabbed his throbbing shoulder hoping to ease the pain.

"Don't antagonize me Tommy," Kimberly snapped back. "You were always so high and mighty. You always thought you were better than everyone else, above everyone else."

She then charged at him and the two countered each other's blows for a while, but she finally got one in. A punch to his left cheek. Tommy felt his face positive he'd find blood, but there wasn't any, it just hurt like hell.

"That's not true Kimberly," he finally answered her. "I never thought I was above any of you, we were a team, everyone was equal."

"Oh please," she snickered. "Don't give me that! You know I'm right. You thought you were great and I thought you were too," she admitted coldly.

Tommy stared at her for a second, neither of them was on the prowl or on the defense, they were just confused.

"You did?" Tommy asked softly.

"Of course I did," replied Kimberly hesitantly. "It seemed like no matter what you always made the right decisions, you always led us to victory, you always saved everyone. You always saved me," her words became very soft.

"And I'll do it again," assured Tommy proudly. "Kimberly, you don't have to do this you don't have to work for Lord Ze-"

"Please!" she interrupted "You think I'm doing this for Zedd?" she chuckled, "Zedd is just a means to an end."

"And what end would that be?" questioned Tommy not really wanting to know the answer.

"The end of you," replied Kimberly as she once again lunged at Tommy.

The two dueled until they were near exhaustion. When they finally took a breather they were both squatting and heaving for air. Tommy was beginning to realize that he wasn't going to last much longer, but it did seem that the blow had weekend Kimberly. But was it enough?

"Before we end this thing and you finally get your wish can you just answer me one question?" asked Tommy.

"I suppose you deserve one last request," said Kimberly.

"Why do you hate me so much?" there was a pause and Kimberly made no effort to answer his question. "You're the one that hurt me with that stupid letter so how is it that I'm the bad guy?" he prodded her some more.

Kimberly erupted in a fit of laughter. "You mean you don't know?" she asked.

He looked at her quite clueless and this only made her even angrier.

"Well I'll tell you why," she snapped. "Katherine," she said simply.

"Katherine?" he questioned in total confusion.

"Yes Katherine," she continued. "When Kat came to town you fell all over her and she fell all over you!" All the animosity that had been building was finally coming out. "Admit it Tommy you cared for her," she ordered.

"Okay, I'll admit it. I did care for her, but only as a friend," he added in his defense.

"Oh as a friend?" she questioned. "So I guess that's why when Katherine did all of those hateful things to me, stole my power coin, and caused me an overnight stay in the hospital you were so quick to forgive her! Damn it Tommy, I was in the hospital and all you could worry about was figuring out how you could get Ninjor back without having to give up your precious Kat."

"Hey Kim," interrupted Tommy, "now that's not fair. You know it was my job as a Ranger to keep all civilians safe no matter who it was."

"Well then," continued Kimberly, "I guess that's why you put so much effort into her and so little effort into getting my power coin back!" she erupted and Tommy could hear tears in her voice.

It was just like in his dream. All of these things she had said to him in his dream, maybe not in the same words, but she blamed him for all of the same things. He must have known all along that he had let her down, he just didn't want to believe it.

"I was so scared," she continued, "it felt so strange not to have my coin it was almost as if I had lost my soul," her tears poured down her face an fogged her vision, she was glad her helmet was there to conceal the pathetic sight. "I thought out of anyone you would have understood how I was feeling, but I guess not because you did nothing to help me!" she yelled.

"Kimberly," Tommy began, "I did understand how you felt, but what could I have done?"

"Well you were so brilliant I'm sure you could have come up with something," she returned sarcastically.

Tommy was beginning to wear her down, not so much physically as emotionally. But, when it came to spells emotional strength is even more important than physical strength. How could he get her to remember all the good?

"You're absolutely right," stated Tommy.

"What?" questioned Kimberly amazed that he didn't immediately go on the defense like usual.

"I mean it Kim, you're right. I never should have put Katherine first. I suppose I just figured you could take care of yourself more so than Kat ever could."

Both were silent, Kimberly had no idea of how to respond to that. Tommy continued hoping and praying that she would snap out of it.

"Well, I guess you were wrong," Kimberly finally responded softly.

She was beginning to lose touch with reality again. The man before her was no longer cold and vicious, he was kind and honest. But could she believe him? Did she really want revenge on him or was that somehow planted in her mind along with her powers? She couldn't remember why she had thought him so terrible. He had been good to her and sure he did put Katherine first but it's not like she herself was completely helpless.

Had it all been a fabrication in her mind? Worst of all was the attraction between Kat and Tommy romantic as she had thought, or was it really just platonic? Had she made a huge mistake when she sent that letter?

By now Tommy had let down his defenses he could tell that Kimberly was finally at a point where she was ready to reason with him. He was sure he could talk the evil right out of her.

"I was wrong, Kimberly," he began again. "You were the most important person or most important anything to me when we were kids. It tore me in half to see you go."

"Then why'd you let me go?" asked Kimberly eagerly.

"Because I wanted everything for you," he said simply.

Kimberly once again became lost in her own thoughts. Could she trust him, he sounded so genuine and she remembered him being so genuine when it all happened. But, if he truly cared for her like he said then why didn't he wait that long before making Katherine his new girlfriend? She was about to find out.

"You wanted everything for me," she stated again. "Then I suppose that's why it didn't take you long to become cozy with Katherine, right?"

'Oh man,' thought Tommy. He was hoping she wouldn't bring that up, he was going to lose her all over again. He didn't know what to say, all he could do was tell the truth.

"Now, that's not fair Kim," he finally answered, "I was devastated when you sent me that letter. An while we're pointing fingers, remind me again which one of us it was that left the other for someone else." It was all wasted, all the progress he'd made up to this point went totally out the window. His pride got in the way and it was too late to stop it.

Kimberly began to pout underneath her helmet, Tommy had definitely pushed her buttons that time.

"I didn't leave you for anyone else!" she cried.

"Well that's not how I remember it," said Tommy accusingly.

"That's because you don't remember it correctly."

Tommy starred at her bewildered and she continued.

"There was never anyone else Tommy. I made it all up."

Tommy lost his breath; he was in total shock.

"I knew our relationship was hard on you, it was only an extra burden you didn't need," she explained. "The fate of the world was lying in your hands and you were constantly wasting your time missing me. I had to let you go before you let me go," Kimberly trailed off into sobs.

Once again neither of them knew what to say, but it was Kimberly who broke the silence.

"Can you just imagine how horrible it felt for me to return to Angel Grove only to see you in the welcoming arms of Katherine at the karate tournament?" she choked back a few tears. "I was still madly in love with you Tommy and I swear I was going to tell you the truth right after the match, but I was too late."

"You know I can imagine how it felt," Tommy finally regained his ability to speak. "Because I felt exactly the same way when I read your letter in front of all of our friends in the middle of the youth center!" He wasn't going to let her make him feel bad, this time it wasn't his fault.

Kimberly began to lose control. She didn't need this right now. She wasn't herself, she didn't know who she was but she knew that she had been hurt. Right now the only thing that would make her feel better was to rid herself of the problem, Tommy. A part of her fought it and fought it, yet she found her left hand inching closer and closer to the weapon secured safely on her belt.

Tommy was too busy processing everything to notice her reach for the weapon and had he noticed, he definitely wouldn't have said what he was about to say.

"So, don't you dare ever blame any of this on me again. It was all your fault."

"Be quiet Tommy," warned Kimberly. She knew that if he kept it up she wouldn't be able to fight the evil. It would take over her for sure and she would do something that she would definitely regret.

My unhappiness, your unhappiness, everything that could have been but never was, it was all your fault Kimberly."

"Shut up Tommy, I mean it!" she warned again. 'No Kimberly, fight it, fight it,' she thought in her head. 'Don't hurt him.'

But Tommy paid no attention to her warning and finally set her off, 'It was you Kimberly, I love you, but you ruined it all!"

"Stop it!" she screamed as she aimed her gun at his chest and fired.

'What have I done?' she asked herself as she watched the beam travel in what seemed to be slow motion towards the love of her life.

But, it never hit him, instead a second beam deflected it, but who fired it? She scanned the trees around her searching for its source when finally she pinpointed it up in a tree, there were five of them and Kimberly was in complete and utter shock.


	26. I Believe In You

_How's it going guys? I'm doing pretty well as you can tell. The story's getting pretty interesting and I keep trying to wrap it up but everytime I sit down to write I get more and more ideas! So, I have no idea how long this story is going to last. Well, actually I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. In other news, your last reviews were really fun to read. I love cliff hangers, especially when you guys predict the outcome. Oh and to Eric James Oliver, I too would love to see this story acted out. What a dream come true. Oh well, I guess our imaginations are just as good, right? Well, enjoy, review, and PLEASE come back!

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"Kimberly, put down your weapon. We're not going to hurt you just please don't hurt anyone else!" screamed a familiar voice.

The sound of the voice shocked Kimberly, she couldn't believe and mostly couldn't understand how it was possible that her five former friends were there together and more surprisingly they were morphed. Black, yellow, blue, red, and even pink, they were all present. The sight of the colorful, diamond motiffed costumes immediately stirred up tons of memories. Some were bad, but most of them were good, very good. She stared at the five figures for what seemed like forever, Tommy did too, he had completely forgotten about the fact that he was almost dog chow less than a minute ago.

"Jason?" Kimberly called in confusion.

"Yeah Kim, it's me," responded the Red Ranger tenderly as jumped down from the tree and met her at eye level. Once the others saw that she was calm and mostly confused they also joined their leader.

Kimberly didn't want to have to fight them. She knew that they would just end up like the four she had battled before them. But, she couldn't trust them, it seemed as if she couldn't trust anyone, not even herself. She had regretted pulling the trigger on Tommy, but now that he was okay and the others were there she wondered if they were angry with her. Had she done something unforgivable by so brutally turning on one of their own? They could see the various bodies of what looked to be harmless teenagers scattered throughout the clearing. She didn't know how to react to their presence or how they were going to react to her and what she had done.

"Hello, Kimberly," said the Black Ranger extending a gentle hand to the woman. It was Zack behind the mask, but she wouldn't return his gesture. It could be a trick.

"Kimberly, it's all going to be okay now," interrupted the Blue Ranger in an attempt to make the Pink Ranger feel comfortable again. The last thing they wanted was to make her feel like they were ganging up on her, because they weren't. They just wanted their friend back. But she couldn't quite understand that yet.

Tommy starred at the sight in amazement. So many years had gone by, yet they still had his back. They truly were the best friends a guy could ask for. With their help for surely they could win this battle without losing Kimberly.

"Come on girl," began the Yellow Ranger breaking the silence, "we love you and you know that. Please just come back to us."

The sweet sound of Aisha Campbell's voice brought tears to Kimberly's eyes. After all the pain and destruction she'd caused they still loved her. She was ready to break, ready to surrender. She wanted her friends back and she wanted to feel good again. All of the hate was just too hard and it wasn't worth it. Zedd's magic was strong, but her friends' magic must have been even stronger. So, she dropped the weapon, which had caused so much suffering.

"But look what I've done," she sobbed gesturing to the site around her. "Look at them," she pointed towards the kids. "How can you love me after I've caused so much destruction?"

Tommy could feel her coming around and he wanted to just grab her and hug her and let her know that he understood, they all did. It was Zedd and Rita's doing, not hers. But he was afraid he might frighten her since he had just finished battling with her and threatening her. So, he remained behind her, out of site and hopefully out of mind.

"How could we ever not love you?" replied Jason to the hopeless woman they had once known to be so great.

Kimberly began to feel warm inside. Jason's words had always been so reassuring, she never questioned anything he'd ever said before and she really didn't see herself starting to now.

"You guys mean it?" she asked muffled by her tears.

"Of course we do Kimberly," answered Billy sympathetically.

"No," returned Kimberly, "You don't care what happens to me, you just care about what happens to Tommy. That's how it always was, Tommy first everyone else second!"

The evil within her began to kick in; it was beginning to take over her. The others' love had been strong, but the evil was simply unstoppable. She couldn't control it. She wanted to surrender to her loved ones, she already had emotionally, but the evil physically would not allow her to.

"Fight it Kim!" cut in Zack as he took a step forward towards her, "Please fight it for us."

"Yeah Kim," continued Aisha, "Remember everything we've been through? Remember all the good we've done and all of the evil we've stopped? This isn't you Kimberly and you know it."

She did know it, but the evil that Lord Zedd infused within her refused to leave. By now Tommy couldn't stand the anticipation, he had to help, she'd come so far already; he couldn't let her down again. He walked over to other Rangers and stood next to the Pink Ranger who had remained silent the whole time. Kimberly hadn't even really noticed her.

"Aisha's right," declared Tommy, "you're so much stronger than this Kim."

She dropped to her knees on the ground in agony. The battle within her was draining and seeing Tommy again only made it more intense. Tommy knelt down next to her and took her helmet in his hands and raised her face so he could see into her eyes. But all he could see was the evil hybrid stare of her helmet. So he slowly reached for the clasps on the sides of it, and she let him undo them. He lifted the armor off her head and unmasked the crying and confused face of Kimberly Hart. She starred back at him with the intensity he had starred at her with.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly. It almost felt as if Tommy was draining the evil right out of her with the simple touch of his fingertips on her face.

"It's okay Kimberly, it's all going to be okay," how many times did she have to hear it?

"But it's not," she argued again, "I've hurt you so badly, how can you even look at me?" she felt so ashamed.

The other five Rangers closed in on the couple and as they did Kimberly shrunk away from Tommy but he wouldn't let go of her beautiful face. Jason responded to her hesitation by taking off his helmet and then she wasn't so afraid of the Red Ranger anymore. He knelt down next to Tommy who had released her face and had now taken both of her small-gloved hands in his bare hands.

"Come on Kim," said Jason "you can end this now. Just please hand over your power coin. Billy can break its control over you. Right Billy?" he asked.

"That's right Jason," Billy assured as he too removed his helmet and knelt down next to Kimberly.

"I can't do it," Kimberly moaned, "it won't let me."

"Maybe it won't let you, Kim," said Tommy starring in her hazel eyes once again, "But you have to let yourself."

"I'm trying!" she snapped looking down at her belt. The coin seemed so dull and ugly. It was black, sad, nothing like the girl she once was.

"You've got to try harder Kim, please," said Aisha who had also removed her helmet and settled on the other side of Kimberly. The Pink Ranger was the only one standing at this point.

Kimberly noticed how youthful her friend Aisha had remained. It was almost as if she hadn't aged a day since she last saw her that one Christmas. Kimberly on the other hand felt like she had aged years. She was so weak and tired. Did she have it in her to overcome the evil?

"I honestly don't think I can do it guys," admitted Kimberly, "I'm sorry but I'm just not strong enough."

Her eyes began to glow bright pink and suddenly were overcome by black, which then turned to pink again. They could all see the battle in which she was consumed in as they spoke. Tommy hated seeing Kimberly this way. He wasn't going to let her give up, he couldn't. It wasn't just the fate of the world that was weighing on this, it was Kimberly. Everything that his students fought for couldn't have all been for nothing. He owed it to them and he owed to Kimberly to save her.

"Yes you can Kim," he finally said, "You can do it. You can fight the evil. We all believe in you," he paused and once again raised her face to his, "I believe in you."

That was all Kimberly needed to hear, the approval and the faith of Tommy. She had hurt him so long ago and she had always felt so guilty. But, now she understood that no matter what she did to him he would never let her fall. Her eyes once again returned to their natural hazel brown and she reached for her morpher then hit the release button allowing the dark coin to fall into her hand.

"Go ahead Kim," urged Jason, "give the coin to Tommy and everything can be like it was."

She reached out to Tommy and just as she was about to lay the coin in his hand the Pink Ranger broke her silence.

"Yes, Kimberly you did it," said Katherine cheerfully as she too removed her helmet sure that the evil spell had been broken. Until now she wasn't sure if her presence would infuriate Kimberly even more. After the events that occurred on the island of Muranthias all those years ago Katherine became very aware that Kimberly definitely harbored some hidden hostilities towards her. Jason had warned her not to provoke anything and that was the last thing Katherine had intended to do. She was just so relieved that they didn't have to resort to a battle and no one else was hurt. Seeing those poor kids around her Katherine couldn't help but be fearful of the Evil Pink Ranger. She knew what being under Lord Zedd and Rita's control was like, and she also knew that things could have ended much worse.

But, when Kimberly heard that sweet innocent Australian accent and saw that blond, almost white hair and those light blue eyes, she let her guard down and allowed the evil back in.


	27. Things Aren't As Bad As They Seem

_Sorry it took so long everyone. The new semester has started and I will once again be bogged down with fun homework, yuck! But, I promise I will do my best to update at least once a week, hopefully more. I gather most of you enjoyed the last chapter, I did too. This next one answers a lot of questions for you guys and the one after it will explain even more. So read, review, and enjoy.

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"Zeddy! What are you doing!" yelled the piercing voice, which belonged to none other than Rita Repulsa.

"Don't yell at me woman!" snapped back Lord Zedd as he thrusted his staff forward ejecting a bright bolt of lightning towards Earth.

"Why are you bringing back our deliciously evil Pink Ranger? She was just about to kick some serious butt!" yelled Rita again, paying no attention to her husbands demand.

"No," replied Zedd trying to control his anger, "she was just about to engage in a battle in which she would lose."

"Pardon my interruption my lord," cut in Goldar as he bowed to his master, "but Rita's right. That goody two shoes Katherine was just about to be out of our hair forever, and something tells me Kimberly would have destroyed anything that got in her way. Even the other Rangers."

"The other Rangers!" yelled Lord Zedd. "Oh how I despise them. They're going to ruin my plan. But I still have one or two tricks up my sleeve."

"And does one of them include retreating?" questioned Rita sarcastically.

"Silence, the both of you!" demanded Lord Zedd. "Kimberly is much too emotional to win a battle against the most gallant warriors there ever were. She has too many ties to them to beat them."

"What do you mean my dear husband," asked Rita with a clueless stare on her face, "I thought Kimberly's emotions were precisely the reason why you chose her to be your evil Ranger."

"Well it was originally," huffed Zedd as he plopped down on his marble throne. "But that was when all we had to worry about was Tommy. It was perfect! But those annoying little power pests had to jump in and save the day as always!" his entire body began to glow red. "Now we have to worry about the other five just when we got rid of the other four."

"You think Kimmy's not up to it?" asked Rita.

"Of course she's not, were you here a minute ago? Did you happen to notice that she was just about to surrender my precious power coin to those imbeciles!" he once again exploded into a fit of rage.

"Oh calm down Zedd and tell me what you plan to do next," said Rita who was by now very disappointed in her husband.

"Don't worry my dear," returned Lord Zedd sinisterly. "Pink Ranger or no Pink Ranger the Power Rangers will be destroyed if it's the last thing I do."

Everyone quietly entered the secret back door of the command center that also happened to be Tommy's basement. The door closed behind the warriors as they took a deep breath and took in the site. Jason, Zack, Billy, and Aisha couldn't believe what they saw. Machines, gadgets, computers, monitors, and even a metal shop off in the corner. It nearly brought tears to their eyes when they finally realized how much Tommy Oliver had actually devoted to saving the world. Most importantly they realized how much he had given up.

Soon they noticed the young woman with long, curly, burgundy hair sitting at the main computer. She swiveled around in her chair the moment she heard the back door open. She gave the group a solemn look and then quickly rose from her seat and began to pull a cot out of what looked to be a supply closet. But there were some pretty serious tools in there, and Billy eagerly took notice.

"Let's power down guys," said Jason emotionless.

Soon the four Rangers standing and the one Ranger resting in Tommy's arms returned to their civilian state. No one spoke as Aisha helped Haley set up five cots dispersed throughout the room and the four men made several trips to Tommy's jeep to retrieve the four kids.

When everyone appeared to be resting comfortably and Haley and Billy were working rapidly to check everyone's vitals Tommy finally broke the silence.

"Are they going to be okay?" he asked unsure of whether or not he wanted to hear the answer.

"Well," said Haley standing over Trent, "Conner and Ethan were only knocked unconscious. Their power left their bodies as a defense mechanism so that they couldn't be drained or harmed. I need to go get the other first aid kit from upstairs, there are some smelling salts in it. They should do the trick."

Tommy exhaled in relief, "What about Kira?"

He was truly concerned about the petite Yellow Ranger. Seeing her down hurt him the most because he always felt like she came before the others. It wasn't because she was a girl, it was mostly because she often times reminded him of Kimberly, even though the two girls were nothing alike.

Haley looked at Billy, pleading with him with her eyes to explain this one to Tommy. She knew exactly how much the pretty blonde girl meant to Tommy and she didn't want to have to be the one to break the news.

"Well," said Billy nodding to Haley in acceptance, "from what I can gather Kira wasn't morphed when she took the hit," he paused to gather himself. "I'm sorry Tommy but it's pretty bad." He could see the tears welling up in his friend's eyes. Tommy tried his best to fight them off.

Billy continued, "I realize that there's not really any visible damage to her other than cuts and bruises, but the blow was very powerful. Right now she is unconscious and she seems to be resting comfortably. But I can't guarantee that she's going to wake up."

A single tear fell from Tommy's eye as he walked over to the small girl and knelt down next to her. He grabbed her hand hoping she would respond. But, when she didn't he nearly lost it. Luckily Haley stepped in with perfect timing as usual.

"But, Trent's going to be okay," she said reassuringly.

It worked because it got Tommy's attention and he released the girl's hand down gently beside her and walked over to Trent.

"But, Kimberly stabbed him," he said with question in his voice.

"That may be true," began Haley, "but he was morphed, which means his body was at maximum strength. He was protected and the power had time to heal his body before it left him."

Once again Tommy exhaled in relief.

"So the powers weren't damaged?" he asked Haley with hope in his eyes.

"Nope," replied the woman as she handed some strange device to Billy who ran it over Conner's dino gem.

"They're as good as new," confirmed Billy with a smile.

The other four Rangers who had remained silent, as they were sympathetic to Tommy's previous situation also erupted into smiles and cheers.

"I guess things aren't as bad as they seem," said Aisha as she walked up to Tommy and gave him a reassuring hug.

"But they're still bad," replied Jason who was always the voice of reason.

"Jas is right guys," continued Zack, "that poor little girl is having to struggle for her life," he gestured towards Kira, "and we haven't even examined Katherine yet."

Katherine had been lying on the cot in the middle of the room; she remained in the same position Tommy had set her down in. Now as the six adults turned their gazes towards the delicate blond woman the horrible memory of her fall filled their minds.

Once Katherine removed her helmet and spoke back in the clearing Kimberly transformed into an entirely different person. She immediately pulled her power coin away from Tommy and returned it to its rightful place, inside her morpher on her belt.

Everyone was taken aback by this gesture and at first no one quite understood what was going on. That is everyone but Tommy who knew exactly what was going through Kimberly's head. He immediately tried to stop her from hurting Kat by grabbing her arm.

"Kim it's not going to happen like this," he said sternly looking down on her.

She quickly jumped up attempting to break his grip, but he rose with her and so did the other four Rangers. They weren't going to let her hurt the Pink Ranger either. Soon Jason grabbed a hold of her other arm and Billy reached for her weapon in the holster on her belt. She began to struggle fiercely.

"Be careful guys," said Tommy, "she's not exactly human right now."

He remembered how she had somehow managed to heat up her body and forced him to let her go back in his bedroom the night before. She now began to glow red in an attempt to repeat the same trick. But Tommy was wise to it.

"Zack, get over her and take her arm," he ordered.

He might not be able to resist the heat, but the other Rangers wouldn't be phased by it because they had the power to protect them. Zack did as he was told and switched places with Tommy. Kimberly began to kick and scream fiercely but Jason and Zack managed to tangle their legs in hers, preventing her from having any sort of defense. Once they had her under control the red glow began to leave her.

"Stop, stop!" she screamed, "you're hurting me Jason."

Jason really did want to let her go, but he knew he couldn't.

"I'm sorry Kim this is how it has to be."

"No," said Kimberly weakly, "it doesn't." Everyone looked confused.

"What I mean is," she continued, "it's gone. The evil's gone, I felt it leave," she struggled to catch her breath.

Everyone starred at her questionably, but Tommy knew better.

"She's bluffing guys!" he yelled as he signaled for them to tighten their grips, and they did.

Meanwhile Aisha had rushed to Katherine's side prepared to protect her even if it meant fighting her own best friend.

"Are you okay Kat?" she asked quickly as she fastened her helmet back on her head.

"Yeah, just a little startled," replied Katherine, not taking her eyes off of Kimberly for a second.

"Well we better get out of here. For some reason you don't appear to be Kimberly's favorite person right now. Seeing you only upsets her more." Aisha began to lead Katherine out of the clearing.

"Right," said Katherine following behind the Yellow Ranger.

"NO!" came a loud scream behind them, "Don't you dare try to escape me Katherine. You have to pay!"

Kimberly's yell was so loud and so fierce, fueled by the Pink Power, she shook the ground. The guys continued to struggle to keep their grip on her but they didn't know how much longer they could last.

"Run!" yelled Tommy after Katherine as he reached for Kimberly's morpher. He was going to take that filthy coin this time no matter what it took.

Kimberly felt Tommy groping at her belt yet she wasn't at all concerned with him. It was Katherine she was after and if these pathetic men thought they could stop her then they had another thing coming. Katherine had almost reached the end of the clearing and was about to enter the trees when she was suddenly stopped. No one actually saw it coming, especially not Katherine. But, Kimberly had somehow managed to shoot the tall Pink Ranger down with a pink beam, which escaped from the pupils of her eyes. As the Ranger's watched one of their own hit the ground wounded, Kimberly Hart was snatched away from them by Lord Zedd's bolt.


	28. How Did You Know?

_Phew! Explaining everything is quite a job. I'm sorry this took so long, but I don't much like writing the explanations. But they're so important that there's no way around it. So, here's a few more pieces to the puzzle, I should have it all wrapped up in the next chapter and things should start to progress from there. You guys have been so good to me with your reviews, I can't thank you enough. So, here's my present to you._

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"Well," said the concerned masculine voice, "how is she?"

"I'm afraid only time will tell, Tommy," replied Billy removing the device from Katherine's head and consulting with Haley on her diagnosis.

"Yeah," continued Haley, "Katherine was morphed when the beam struck her but it was exceptionally powerful. It was almost as if Kimberly had somehow concentrated all of her energy into one gigantic force and aimed it strait at Katherine."

Tommy shuddered. He should have been able to prevent this. He knew how Kimberly felt about Katherine, all the hidden hostility. He should have sent Katherine away the second she appeared. What was he thinking? That was the problem, he wasn't thinking, he was too busy trying to get Kimberly back to care about anything else. He really had been messing up as the leader lately, but why? He then realized the answer was pretty obvious, Kimberly Hart. If there was ever one thing that could consume his mind no matter what, it was she. Zedd knew this and that is why his plan had been working so well. But, on the positive side Kimberly had cracked more than once. She wasn't completely evil, but the evil was feeding off of all of her weaknesses, just as she had fed off of his.

"So we just wait it out then?" questioned Aisha, breaking Tommy away from his thoughts.

"That's about all we can do," replied Haley as she headed for the stairs, "I'm going to go get that other first aid kit, I'll be right back," she called behind her as she exited the room.

"So what's next?" asked Zack as he took a seat in the big black chair in front of the monitors and control panels.

Aisha followed, taking a seat on the steps below him. She propped her chin in her left hand and studied the fingernails on her right hand. She was definitely due for a manicure, maybe this time she'd get them polished pink. She swallowed harshly at the idea. How could she be thinking of her nails at a time like this? The only other person in this entire world that wouldn't think her a brat for doing so was Kim. Poor Kim.

"Well," began Tommy in response to Zack's question, dragging Aisha back to reality, "I suppose the first thing you can do is tell me how the hell it is that you're all here."

The four adults chuckled at their former leader; the look on Tommy's face had been indescribable when they appeared back at the battle site. He literally looked as if he had just seen a ghost, and in many ways he had.

"Jas," began Billy, "I suppose you should begin."

Jason nodded as he tried to decipher the best way to explain the events of the last few days without pissing off Tommy. Tommy never refused help but he also rarely asked for it. Jason also wanted to lighten the mood. He realized circumstances were dire but the last thing everyone needed was more negativity.

"It all started Saturday evening when you called me," Jason said taking a seat next to Aisha. "There was something about you that just didn't seem right and I knew it had absolutely nothing to do with Kimberly's box."

"What was your first clue?" asked Tommy eagerly. He knew he had been terribly unconvincing on the phone yet he couldn't help but want to know where he slipped up.

Jason rolled his eye, " come on bro!" he said with exaggeration, "uh, gee, uh duh, I just found some old things of Kim's, can I have her address?" His impersonation of Tommy was quite insulting but Tommy had to admit it was fair.

"Come on man," continued Jason, "you haven't even mentioned Kim in years and then one day out of the blue you want her address? I don't think so."

"Okay fine, you got me," admitted Tommy. "But there's one problem with your story."

"What's that?" questioned Jason, amused.

"You're not that smart," chuckled Tommy as he pulled up a chair, set it down in front of the others, and planted himself in it backwards.

"Very funny bro," said Jason, somewhat humiliated by the chuckles of his friends around him. "But seriously," he continued, "I was pretty suspicious of you so I decided to do a little research, which might I add would have made Billy very proud."

Billy nodded in approval as he recovered from the previous laughing spell that had taken over the room.

"Do continue," said Tommy as he gestured the statement with his hand. "You do have me intrigued."

"I sat down at my computer," continued Jason, seriously, "and I did a search for Reefside's news and came up with the local newspapers site where a fresh article sat just waiting for me to read." Jason looked very proud of his accomplishment. "So I read the article and as it turned out that very afternoon there had been a terrible attack on the local teen hotspot, our dear friend Haley's business venture. Of course only a few eye witnesses were questioned and even Haley herself."

"What did they say," asked Aisha eager to find out. She never actually got the whole story when she agreed to take on the mission, just a brief overview.

"Well," said Jason browsing the faces around him, "I believe the phrase used was _a pink she-devil with a giant Z across her chest, flew through the window like a bat out of hell_. Now, it's been a few years, but I'm sure that you all, like myself, can't even read a word with that tainted letter _z_ in it without cringing."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"So up to this point," said Jason, " I had reached a few conclusions." He paused for dramatic affect. "One, our good friend Lord Zedd had returned from the dead or should I say the good, and was once again attempting to take over the world. Two," he raised his pointer and middle finger in exaggeration, "Zedd had somehow managed to create his own evil ranger. And three, she was pink, which left the door pretty wide open. But, considering Tommy's new found interest in Kimberly's current address, it was pretty obvious who our Pink Ranger was."

"What if you had been wrong?" questioned Tommy, feeling at little foolish at this point that Jason was able to conclude that the Pink Ranger was Kimberly without even having seen her in person. And, it took him two days to reach the same conclusion.

"Well," answered Jason smugly, "I checked my facts." He then pointed at Billy opening the floor for the great genius.

"That's true," confirmed Billy, "Jason used his communicator to contact me."

"But how?" questioned Tommy. He always thought they were inoperable, especially when it came to contacting someone on another planet. "Where'd the frequency come from?"

"My station, back in Aquatar is pretty advanced Tommy," explained Billy. "It's so advanced that I am able to pick up even the tiniest signal from Earth, and it just so happens that when I created the frequency for our communicators I coded them with a special formula, which generates a signal totally different from any other. Luckily Jason thought to attempt communication and I picked up on his signal. It was incredibly faint but with a few minor adjustments I was able to receive Jason's transmission."

"When I finally got through, I explained everything I knew to Billy," said Jason picking up where his friend left off. "He sounded a little skeptical because we all know that Lord Zedd is supposed to be as happy as butterfly, and Kimberly would be the last candidate for destruction."

"So," continued Billy, "I tapped into the morphing grid and ran a search for anything unusual, and boy did I find something very unusual."

"What?" asked Zack, he too knew little of the whole story but wasn't quite as in the dark as Aisha.

"Well," answered Billy, "I found what looked to be a power source generated from a power coin, more interesting though I found that power to be composed of Zed's energy, pink energy, and most importantly pterodactyl energy."

"And Kimberly's the only Ranger besides Kira to ever be infused with that energy," finished Tommy. He had to admit this was all very impressive, and a much simpler way to find out the identity of the Pink Ranger than his had been.

"Precisely, Tommy," responded Billy.

"Okay," cut in Aisha, "so you find out that Kimberly's the Evil Pink Ranger and Tommy's a little worried, but how did you know that the Dino Thunder Rangers couldn't take care of the problem? Tommy didn't even ask for help."

"Well," answered Billy, "the power signal I found in the morphing grid was stronger than any power originating from a coin had ever been. In fact it was even bigger than the power generated by all five dino gems combined."

Tommy gasped in amazement, he knew a little something about the intensity of the dino gems and the idea of a power being stronger than them was almost unimaginable. Had he known this, he definitely would have asked for help.

"Knowing this," cut in Jason eager to continue the story, "Billy and I realized that it was going to take a hell of a lot more to rescue Kimberly from this power source than the dino rangers. So, the Aquitians sent Billy home in their most advanced space craft while in the meantime I, with the help of Delphine and Cestro, attempted to compile a team of basically anyone I could get a hold of."

"And that's where I come in," stated Zack proudly, eager to tell his portion of the story.

"Hold on," said Tommy raising his hand in defiance, "why go through so much trouble? Why didn't you just send the Alien Rangers to help us out?"

"Are you crazy?" asked Billy, "Zedd would have sensed their approach before they even reached Earth and by then he could have prepared and equipped Kimberly for the fight. Plus, Kimberly never knew the Aquitian Rangers; there wouldn't have been any chance of persuading her to surrender peacefully. It would have been her or them."

"That's true," agreed Tommy. He was surprised at how all of this stuff had never even entered his mind. Why did he always insist on taking on every problem alone?

"Um, excuse me," interrupted Zack, "I believe it's my turn."

"Go for it bro," said Jason with a slight chuckle at his friend's excitement.

"So check it," began Zack, "There I was just chillin' in my hotel room in New York City, totally exhausted from my busy day working, when all of a sudden I hear it," he paused. "You know what I'm talking about that familiar chime. At first I thought I had fallen asleep and I dreamt the noise, but I heard it again. Finally I tore through my suitcase, which luckily was the same one I had taken to the Peace Conference. I couldn't believe my communicator was still in it. I had ripped my house apart looking for that thing a few years back. Luckily I had it with me or else Jason would have never been able to track me down."

"Uh, ever heard of a phone?" asked Aisha sarcastically.

"That's cute girl," said Zack as he winked at the African American woman, "but, I live out of hotel rooms these days, my job requires it. And I had just recently changed my cell number because it was just cheaper to get one with a New York area code since I'm there so often."

"Oh," said Aisha sheepishly apologizing with her eyes.

"Don't sweat it," replied Zack with his typical charm.

"Back to the story please," interrupted Tommy annoyed by the flirting session that was taking place in his basement.

"Oh, sorry bro," said Zack blushing, "So anyway I answered the communicator and Jas gave me a quick overview of the situation. Needless to say I was on the next flight to California, because you know I always got your back Tommy."

Tommy nodded in appreciation.

"Okay, Okay," said Aisha primping her hair "now my turn. It just so happened that I was visiting Katherine in Australia when Jason sent out the call. I was there for a international veterinarian's meeting addressing the problem of dehydration, amongst a certain species of-"

Everyone but Billy appeared clueless and somewhat disinterested.

"Anyway, that's not important," continued Aisha realizing that she had lost them all at Australia, "Kat and I were in the midst of the beginning of a day long shopping spree when we heard it. I know it sounds silly but ever since I relocated to Africa I keep my communicator with me everywhere I go. I suppose a part of me just feels like I never finished my shift as a ranger ya' know?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and Billy put his arm around her. None of them blamed her for leaving the team. She had other duties; other's to help in a different way, just like Jason, Zack, and Trini.

"The communicator was in my purse, I was so shocked to hear it go off, we both were. When I answered it Jason filled me in on the situation. It wasn't until after he had told everything that Katherine made her presence known."

It was somewhat obvious that Katherine wasn't exactly the best candidate for this mission. Eventually, everyone had pieced together the fact that Katherine had in fact had feelings for Tommy, even when he was with Kimberly. Tommy had known it too, but no one really ever knew if Kimberly had realized it. Kim was the type of person that always focused on the good in people, never the bad. But when Kimberly had returned to Angel Grove for spring break, senior year, Jason picked up on Kimberly's dislike for the pretty blonde Australian. She never said anything to Jason to suggest her hostility, but he noticed the glare on Kimberly's face whenever Katherine was near by.

"I tried to talk Kat out of coming, honest I did," began Aisha regretfully. "But she insisted on it. I think she still feels bad about all those horrible things she did to Kim while she was under Rita's spell. I couldn't stop her. So, we boarded the next plain to America."

Everyone gave Aisha a 'we don't blame you look,' as the room went silent. But, the silence was broken by another voice, Haley who had just returned from the kitchen.

"So where did the power's come from?"


	29. The Power of Five

_Hey guys, thaks so much for the rapid responses to my last chapter. They totally inspired me to hurry up on this chapter. So, here is the chapter that pretty much concludes the explanation for the powers. I beg of you to please be generous. You'll notice that I definitely used my artistic license on this one, so be gentle. And as always thank you all for reading and reviewing. I hope you like it._

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Billy scanned the faces of his best friends around him. It had been so long since he'd seen any of them. Heck, it had been so long since he'd seen Earth. But, they had always been there for him no matter what. The situations they had gotten themselves into together, mainly becoming Power Rangers.

None of them had ever actually comprehended the responsibility that would come with being a Power Ranger when they accepted their coins. It wasn't until many years after they had resigned from the job that it hit them. Life would never be normal for any of them, even if they never morphed again. Each and every one of them lived everyday wondering if this would be the day that the world would once again need their sacrifice.

It had changed the relationships they had in the past and even altered the ones they would have in the future. Each one of them would have a secret that they would never, for as long as they lived, be able to tell anyone. It was a secret that would never be shared with anyone but each other. It was a pact they had made together. More importantly it was a promise they had made to Zordon.

"The origins of the powers are a little complicated to explain," began Billy hesitantly. "But, I guess the best place to begin would be when Andros destroyed Zordon's energy tube."

Everyone concentrated on Billy intensely; nothing could have torn the five adults away from the explanation.

"When Andros busted the tube with his sword he destroyed Zordon physically. After all, we all knew that Zordon really couldn't take a physical shape outside of the tube, at least not for very long. But, Andros didn't destroy Zordon spiritually."

"I don't get it," said Zack curiously.

"Well, Zordon was basically scattered throughout the universe and since he was made purely of good he was able to overrule all of the evil, like Lord Zedd, Rita, the Machine Empire, and Divatox."

"Makes sense," thought Aisha out loud. "But, that still doesn't explain why we were able to morph."

"Okay," continued Billy. For once in his life he couldn't find the words to explain something and it was frustrating him. "When Zordon's energy was distributed most of it went into the bad guys, but the heart of it went into the good guy."

"That's us?" interrupted Tommy.

"Precisely," said Billy feeling confident that he would be able to make everyone understand. "You probably didn't feel it that day. I know I didn't. But, each one of us received a part of Zordon, and that can never be taken away. In addition, it also can be drawn upon when connected to a power source."

"That would be the coins," finished Jason.

"But how," began Aisha, "you were there Billy, Goldar turned them into dust."

"That's true Aisha, but the power had to go somewhere," answered Billy.

"Then where did it go?" asked Zack more confused than he thought possible.

"Into each one of us," cut in Jason.

"So your saying that all this time we've been walking around with the ability to morph?" asked Aisha, somewhat perturbed that she hadn't known this all along.

"No," continued Jason, "I'm saying that all of this time we've been walking around with the powers necessary to morph. But, without each other we wouldn't be able to create power coins from which to draw the power."

Everyone stared at Jason and Billy blankly.

"What Jason's trying to say," said Billy. "Is that if we have the power of five, which would be equivalent to the original five coins, then together we could harness our energy and create the coins."

"Even though some were Dino and some were Ninja?" asked Tommy as he carefully took note of what was being revealed to him.

"The type of power is irrelevant, it's only the color that matters," answered Billy.

"So are you saying these power are permanent?" asked Tommy excitedly.

"Within us, yes," answered Billy, "but in an actual physical form they are very limited. We were fine today, but they won't last forever because they simply aren't strong enough to sustain over time. Once we've used them up it will take years for them to regenerate themselves. Unless of course we find some other power source to infuse them."

"I guess this would explain why Zedd chose Kimberly to be his Evil Pink Ranger," added Zack.

"Most likely," said Billy. "He simply mutated what was already inside of Kim with the power coin he created from darkness."

Everyone grew silent. The thought of Kimberly lay heavy in their minds.

"What are we going to do about Kimberly?" asked Aisha softly.

"Wait I guess," said Tommy, resuming his role as leader. "She still has the upper hand. I don't know if you guys noticed but she also has my dino gem."

"Oh we noticed," Zack chimed in.

"So, can Tommy call on his powers?" asked Haley, who had remained silent up to this point.

"Of course," responded Billy, "as long as he has the support of the other five coins, but that includes Katherine."

Everyone shifted their gaze toward the sleeping beauty in the center of the room.

"We can't take Kim on without you bro," stated Jason plainly.

"Maybe you won't have to," began Haley.

"What do you mean Haley?" asked Aisha.

"I mean that it's a little fishy that Lord Zedd pulled her out of the fight just as she was about to gain the upper hand. She had just taken out Katherine and you probably would have been next Aisha."

Aisha's throat began to tighten. In all of the years that she had known Kimberly she had never once tried to hurt her, why now? It just wasn't right.

"Haley's right," interjected Tommy. "Kim could have made toast out of any one of us, and I don't doubt that she wouldn't have."

"So then what do you think is on Zedd's agenda?" questioned Zack.

"I don't know," said Tommy seriously, "All I know is that evil or not Kim still belongs to him, and as long as she belongs to him so does my dino gem."

"You're not honestly worried about that stupid gem right now when Kimberly could very possibly be fighting for her life as we speak, are you?" snapped Aisha. She couldn't believe it; normally Tommy would have been more worried about Kim than anyone else. That silly rock should have been the last thing on his mind.

The room grew silent. Tommy made no effort to defend himself and no one else made any effort in his defense. But what they didn't realize was that Tommy was more terrified for Kimberly at this very moment than he had ever been before. If he let that fear show then he may never be able to gain his composer again. He had to stay strong if he was going to save Kimberly, even if it meant that he had to act as cold as ice.

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_So, what did you think? Let me know, but I would also like to take this oppurtunity to recomend another fic, which I'm sure all of the Tommy and Kimberly fans here will enjoy. It's called "Conflict of Interest," and it's by the talented author Grey17. Be warned however that it is rated R, so please only read if your 17, and you'll be glad you did._


	30. Kimberly Hart

_WooWhoo! I really, really, really enjoyed writing this chapter. But, I have to warn you that it might be pretty confusing, so you may have to read it more than once to understand everything. I decided to make you guys have to think for this one. Also, I appreciate the reviews from the last chapter very much. I was afraid my explanation wouldn't fly with some of you and those of you that it didn't fly with were gracious enough to not totally dog me. Thanks a million times over for that. But, I'm extremely interested in hearing what you think of this chapter because it's pretty dense. In particular I would like to know what you all thought of how I handled what I call the 'transformation'. Okay, I'll shut up now, but enjoy okay!_

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Kimberly angrily plopped herself down on the cold marble stone that would have to serve as her bed for the evening. Goldar had just escorted her to the basement level of Serpentera II where the cells were located. As he shoved her into the cell she cursed at him, and unfortunately it brought no satisfaction to her because he was free and she was a prisoner behind the steel bars.

"It's not fair!" she screamed with all her might as the tears began to pour out of her eyes.

She had busted her butt for Lord Zedd and still he was not satisfied. She continued screaming and yelling obscenities until she felt near exhaustion. Before collapsing onto the hard marble surface she fiercely hurled her pink, black, and gold helmet into the door, it bounced off the dull bars and landed roughly with a giant thump. She couldn't see where it ended up because of the two-foot high fog that perpetually hovered over the floor. But, she knew the ridiculous piece of armor probably didn't even get a single scratch.

Sitting on the stone she pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. Rocking back and forth she continued to cry, but the reason for the tears was rather difficult to pinpoint. Was she scared? Was she angry? Was she sorry? With each rock the reason changed and in accordance so did her thoughts.

They started out as a distant memory of just three days before. She remembered waking from her nightmare and finding herself in the comfort of her own bed, in her own room, in her own house on Rose Avenue. That time she had felt scared, what if she never got over the guilt?

Her next memory brought her to the Youth Center on Friday night where Skull had offered her a ride home in another sad attempt to work his way into her heart. For that she felt sorry, but not really for Skull, it was mostly for not taking him up on that ride home. Realistically she knew that it would have only delayed the inevitable, but who knows, maybe things would have turned out different. She clenched her eyes shut not wanting to remember the next part.

Suddenly she could feel the cold wet raindrops pierce her skin like little nails falling from the sky. She could hear herself heaving for air as she ran through the dark. She felt her muscles begin to ache as she pumped her legs faster and faster, the cold grass below her bare feet turning into ice. Finally she felt herself come to a halt as an indescribable pain surged through her shoulder. Sitting in the small cell Kimberly covered her head with her arms as she struggled to protect her mind from the horrible memory. What followed wasn't any better.

Standing before Lord Zedd and Rita was like standing on a ledge of the Empire State building, only she didn't have a choice. Eventually she knew she was going to have to jump or else be pushed, and pushed she was. Recalling, the moment she realized that she was no longer the same woman she had been just hours before, Kimberly felt herself grow warm. As she remembered discovering her new self for the first time she began to sweat, and she could no longer distinguish it from the tears.

Her eyes were cloudy with water and the room was a blur, yet a part of her knew that she had to remember what lay ahead or else she might never be able to rationalize reality from the Evil Pink Ranger's world. Bracing herself for the shame and defeat she wiped her eyes clean with her black fingers and she sat up strait against the cool wall behind her.

Kimberly's head was immediately flooded with one image in particular, an image that she would not soon forget, nor would she really want to. But, right now she didn't know if she had the strength to endure it. The image was of Dr. Thomas Oliver walking carelessly down the streets of Reefside, California. It looked as if he hadn't a care in the world and he had aged perfectly. Despite the obvious physical changes like the short hair and the glasses he still looked just like the boy Kimberly had fallen so madly in love with in high school. It was a moment she had dreamed of for many years, but if she could change the past she would have given it all back if it meant that these past few days had never happened. She would have given up the chance to ever see Tommy again if it meant that she had never hurt him or the others. But, it was too late.

Now her mind was not her own, she had no control over what she saw next, Tommy hitting the hard wooden floor like a pile of dirt while she was radiant with satisfaction. Next, she saw herself back in the Youth Center gingerly kissing him on the cheek. She once again began to grow warmer in her cell. She couldn't feel the chill of the stone surfaces below her or behind her. She was in another place, Angel Grove.

Soon, voices entered her head, one belonged to her and the other belonged to Tommy. She could hear him talking about college, about his job, and about becoming a Ranger again. She could hear herself dropping subtle hints that she hoped would ruin his day, like how fond she had grown of Skull. But then the calm conversation was suddenly replaced with screams and hollers. He was yelling for her as he selflessly fought to protect her from the putties. But she was yelling for help in an attempt to lure him into trouble as she eyed the gem, which rested safely on his wrist. In the cell, Kimberly once again found herself curled up in a tiny ball, she felt like she was inches from the sun yet she couldn't unroll herself.

Next came the disappointment of Tommy's goodbye, he had shrugged her off like she had been merely an acquaintance to him. She would not stand for it and in the next flashback she proved it. She could feel the muscular heavy weight overtake her. On her fingertips she could not feel the coarse black gloves, but the smooth yet rough texture of Tommy's chest. In her mouth she could taste the Listerine on his breath, which she had not noticed at the time, yet she remembered it so clearly now. Most importantly she felt wanted, more than that, needed. It had been so long since she had that feeling and she wanted it again. But, it was broken when a cold metal object, the bracelet, replaced the soft skin beneath her fingertips.

Kimberly began to sob out loud in her cell, and she hadn't noticed when it happened but at some point during her vision she had actually ripped off her gloves. Opening her eyes she found herself struggling with the bracelet on her left arm. It was stuck like glue, she scanned it for the clasp, but it wasn't there, it was like it had been soldered around her wrist. Taking deep breaths she attempted to compose herself but before she could the bracelet took over her and the terrible memories once again invaded her.

They came in flashes like a strobe light. First she felt the dirty blond, wavy hair of the petite teenage girl in her hand. She could hear the girl attempt to muffle her cries of pain, but worse she could see herself beating the poor girl to a pulp.

The next flash was of the Red Ranger and the Blue Ranger. Quickly she saw herself zap them to the ground, and then they were once again just regular human, lifeless boys. The memories were eating at her and she just wanted to give up and let them go, but she had to remember, she had to face what she had done. She had to force herself to see the monster she had become in hopes that the good in her would not let it stay.

Soon Tommy entered the picture once again, accompanied by the White Ranger. It hurt so much to watch Tommy shoot that blast at her. Why would he hurt her? But, then the image of the White Ranger kneeling over her unsuspectingly entered her head. Soon, he ended up like the rest as she rammed her weapon directly through his stomach. That was why Tommy had done it, she wasn't human, she didn't deserve to be.

Suddenly it was just her and Tommy, the battle should have ended then, but thank God it didn't. Thank God that the other's showed up. High in the tree they shined like the rarest diamond. They were there to save her; not Tommy, and she realized that now.

Once again the pain was taking over Kimberly's body as she lay down on her side. The fog had consumed her and she couldn't see an inch in front of her face. Her eyes were clenched tighter than ever and she was sweating puddles beneath her. But, it was all about to end.

Tommy took Kimberly's face in his hands, he stared deep into her eyes and she never wanted him to leave. Everyone was there; they were all so close to reconciliation and maybe even happiness. At that moment she was ready to trade her power coin in for her friends, and for him. But no, SHE had to go and speak; she had to ruin it all, just like in high school. The pale white face, the piercing blue eyes, and the silky blond hair of Katherine Hillard engulfed Kimberly's mind. Kimberly screamed out in pain. She didn't want to hate the girl, deep down she knew it wasn't Katherine's fault. None of it was, not the resurge of evil, not the loss of the power coins, and definitely not her loss of Tommy. Deep down Kimberly knew it was her own fault. She's the one that left, she's the one that became paranoid, and she's the one that wrote the letter.

The letter, that stupid letter! It was the cause of all of this, more directly though, Kimberly was the cause of all of this. If she hadn't harbored all of that hate deep down then she would have been broken of Zedd's dastardly spell a long time ago. She would have given up her black coin to Tommy and she wouldn't be here right now.

Bringing herself back to reality Kimberly slowly eased herself into a sitting position with the help of the stone bench. Her vision was once again blurry with water and the stray strands of hair that hovered over her face were sticking to her, glued with tears. Her body was so hot she could see the red reflecting off the fog. But, Kimberly persevered after realizing that she had been responsible for this whole mess she realized that she too was responsible for ending it.

Heaving for air and composure, Kimberly reached down for her morpher. She tugged at it so hard it almost ripped her belt in two. Once it was free she stared at the mechanism briefly and didn't hesitate to hit the release button. The small, dull, black coin popped out quicker than Kimberly expected and it fell to the floor with a metallic ring followed by a short lived chime as it rolled across the smooth surface.

"Please, no!" whispered Kimberly cursing herself in her head for letting it fall.

She was never going to find it now, not with the stupid indoor cloud around her. The tears came full force again, she felt like she was made of water. It didn't matter though, it wasn't like she could see anyway. Returning to her hands and knees Kimberly blindly searched the floor for the tiny metal disk. Becoming frustrated she broadened her parameter and scaled across the floor desperately.

"Well, found the stupid helmet," she said agitated before once again tossing it to the side.

Returning to the bench she pawed the floor beneath it, but she found nothing but the cold chill of the marble floor.

"I have to find it!" she sobbed taking a second round across the floor, but nothing. It was as if the coin had disappeared.

Kimberly then realized how ironic it was that just five minutes ago she was dying to get rid of the damn coin, and now she would have given just about anything to find it.

"Come on Kimberly," she tried to motivate herself, while at the same time struggling to keep her cool.

After a while, Kimberly had no idea how long it had been, hours maybe, she finally stopped her search. By then she was too frustrated and tired to continue the disappointment, so she surrendered and took her spot on the bench and lay down on her side, with her hands tucked under her head as a pillow. Of course the perpetual flow of tears continued their steady stream down her face as she began to doze off, but she never fell completely asleep. It almost felt like she was in limbo, she was conscious but at the same time dreaming. Before long she came out of the trance only to find herself speaking one name over and over again.

"Tommy…Tommy…Tom-" she whispered softly, only to be interrupted by a sudden chill that engulfed the ear she had been laying on.

Sitting up she looked down at the hand she had been resting her head on, it was Tommy's bracelet. The black gem began to glow white first and then green. Kimberly wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if it was actually happening. But soon the glow began to generate a green and white beam which lead to the floor. Following the beam Kimberly sprung up from her seat and rushed to the floor again, going strait for the beam's trajectory. Feeling the ground for what she hopped was her coin she was disappointed that the bracelet had only led her to that stupid helmet once again.

At first she started laughing, she had imagined the whole thing! Picking up the helmet she held it at eye level to her, examining the face, her face, in the eye shield. Her reflection was somewhat pathetic. She had gigantic circles under her eyes, her skin was pale, and various strands of hair were crusted to her face.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all," she choked to herself, accompanied by a giggle.

As if waiting for a response she grew silent and that's when she saw it. It was the tiniest glimmer of light and it was pink. Kimberly blinked several times figuring her eye's just needed adjusting, but her curiosity got the best of her as she dug her hand into the helmet's neck hole. She searched the vessel with her bare hand carefully, finally resting on a cold metal object. After a slight tug the object was freed in her hand. Kimberly was elated to discover that she had found her coin. It had somehow gotten lodged in a crevice inside her helmet and it had been there the whole time!

Relieved and somewhat confused Kimberly hugged the coin to her chest, silently thanking God for the discovery. But, she now knew what she had to do. Still sitting on the freezing marble floor she examined the coin carefully. The little pterodactyl relief stared up at her almost apologetically. She slowly ran her shaking fingers over the insignia. For so long the pterodactyl had brought her such comfort and luck, how was it possible that now it was the source of her undoing? The time had come to let go, to let the hurt go, to let the grudge go, and to let him go.

Kimberly slowly brought the coin to her lips and kissed it. It felt like ice against her lips, which were still warm from the evil. She didn't know if she could do it alone, destroy her coin. But, it was now or never.

Solemnly she raised the coin in her right hand and held out in front of her. Somehow she knew exactly what she had to do; she could feel it inside her. Mustering up all of her strength she raised her left hand directly in front of her chest, parallel to the coin. Closing her eyes and preparing for the separation she allowed the black dino gem to take over.

She could feel the gem release it's energy and opening her eyes she saw it begin to illuminate, releasing three figures. The first was a small brachiosaurus; it floated over to the black coin where the pterodactyl innocently rested. But suddenly the coin also began to illuminate pink. Before long the tiny pterodactyl came alive just as the brachiosaurus. The two small figures began to dual inside the tiny coin, firing and attacking like an animation. Kimberly felt every blow inside her no matter who it was meant for.

Soon the second figure emerged from the dino gem in the form of a green dragon. It joined the battle alongside the brachiosaurus. Kimberly began to really feel the pain now, it hurt so much she wanted to drop the coin and forfeit, but something inside of her kept her going, the third figure.

It was a tiny white tiger and as it emerged from the Dino Gem it let out a loud cry that somehow was reassuring to Kimberly. It too joined the battle and after some time all three of Tommy Oliver's spirit's emerged from the black coin, bringing with them the pink pterodactyl. This left the coin empty it was nothing now but a piece of metal. The black brachiosaurus, the green dragon, and the white tiger returned to the gem on Kimberly's wrist and the illumination was gone.

But the pterodactyl had another destination, directly into Kimberly's heart. She felt the spirit enter her as her body returned to it's normal temperature and her strength returned even though she felt as if she could sleep for a year. Then, in just a quick flash she found herself unmorphed and still in the short pink dress she had worn on her date with Skull the night before. She was once again Kimberly Hart, and she had once again been rescued by Tommy Oliver.


	31. He Felt It Too

_Alright guys, I was pleasantly surprised to find that nobody had any trouble understanding the last chapter, which was great. But, for a little clarification Kimberly is no longer evil. Whoohoo, now we can throw a party! But, there's still a bit of a ways to go before we get to the happily ever after, that is if that's how it is meant to be. But, please review this one too because you have no idea what a differenece it makes when you recieve reviews. They're always what inspire me to say homework can wait, but my loyal readers can not. _

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Tommy quietly tiptoed up the stairs that led from his underground command center up to his seemingly ordinary house. It was late, real late, but he couldn't sleep. Eventually Conner, Ethan, and Trent had come to earlier that evening and woke up to discover that five of the original, well some semi-original Rangers had come to their aid and were now very concerned about them. They were so excited that they had completely forgotten what had actually caused them to be unconscious.

Conner spent what felt like hours to Jason drilling him with questions about being the leader of the very first Power Ranger team. Jason was gracious enough but eventually he gave Tommy a pleading 'help me' look, which queued Tommy to cut in.

"Hey Conner," said Tommy "how ya' felling?"

"Okay, I guess," said Conner recalling the fact that he had been injured pretty seriously that afternoon.

"Well, you took a pretty bad hit," continued Dr. Oliver pretending to examine Conner's head as he put on his glasses.

"Yeah man," added Jason, "I wasn't there or anything, but you looked pretty bad when we brought you in. I'm amazed you don't have the world's biggest headache." Jason had obviously picked up on Conner's limited intelligence.

Conner looked at the two men questioningly and then paused and thought for a minute. "You know," he began "now that you mention it my head does kind of hurt." He rubbed his temple slowly.

"Hey, why don't you take Ethan and Trent upstairs to the kitchen and make you something to eat. The fridge isn't terribly well stocked but I'm pretty sure there's some sandwich fixings," said Dr. Oliver. "Then when you're done eating there's some aspirin in the medicine cabinet in my bathroom upstairs."

"Good idea Dr. O," said Conner thankfully as he scurried away to gather Ethan who seemed to be quite captivated by Aisha's beauty. He had been very tentative being taken care of by the sweet and pretty Yellow Ranger all evening long. Usually it would have been Conner getting all the attention from the ladies, but things had changed since the young men had become Rangers.

Trent on the other hand wasn't so star struck. He was terribly concerned about Kira and he hadn't left her side since Haley woke him up with those nasty smelling salts. Dr. Oliver had joined him, as he too was worried about Kira and Katherine who was in the cot next to her. But, he couldn't refuse Jason a hand after what he had done for him.

"Thanks bro," said Jason giving his long time best friend their secret handshake, which they had shared since high school. "He's a great kid, but I just really wasn't in the mood you know what I mean?"

Tommy knew exactly what he meant; he had felt sick to his stomach since the whole ordeal happened.

"Yeah man," responded Tommy, "don't worry about it Conner's never been terribly perceptive." The two men chuckled to one another as they watched the three teenage boys head up the stairs.

"But how are you doing?" asked Jason with deep concern.

"Never better," said Tommy sarcastically in an attempt to avoid the question.

"No, I'm serious Tommy," said Jason with a stern look on his face. "If you wanna talk about it I got time."

"I know what you're thinking," replied Tommy, "that I'm trying to play the heroic leader when inside I'm suffocating with worry, heartache and regret."

"Well, I really just thought you might need to vent, but that'll do," said Jason.

"Well, I'm fine Jas, really," began Tommy. "I mean naturally I'm worried about Kat and Kira, and I'm extremely nervous about Zedd's next move, but I'm cool."

Jason looked at Tommy almost angrily. "I can't believe you Tommy, what's the point? You care for Kim, probably more than any of us and we all know that. There's no reason to hide it."

"I'm not hiding it," Tommy snapped back, "I just see no point in worrying about her when she's done a pretty damn good job of taking care of herself up until now."

"I feel sorry for you bro," said Jason sadly shaking his head before turning and walking away to join Billy and Haley at the master control panel.

Tommy made no attempt to move, he knew Jason was right. He was being ridiculous, Kimberly was in danger, why couldn't he just admit it? Probably because once he did he wouldn't be able to think strait. He recalled the time Lord Zedd had kidnapped Kimberly and kept her prisoner in his dark dimension as he slowly drained her life away. He couldn't remember how he was able to get through it. He had even made a conscious decision to let the Rangers pilot Zedd's zords as a trade off for Kimberly. Looking back on it his decision was made with his heart and not with his mind. He had a feeling that history was going to repeat itself.

But now, nearly three hours later Tommy found himself creeping through his own house like a cat burglar. Everyone had decided that it was only logical that they all stay together tonight. So, they flipped coins for beds and couches, the losers ended up with a cot in the basement. He had been a loser. What he felt worse about though was the fact that Kira's parents were probably in hysterics right now, worried their daughter hadn't come home.

Conner and Ethan had called their parents earlier and asked them if they could stay the night at Trent's. Had their parents known that Anton Mercer had left town for a business meeting earlier that day they never would have allowed it. But, the boys never told them that part. Tommy really wanted to call Kira's parents and let them know that she was okay, well hopefully. But how could he?

As Tommy carefully placed his steps he worked his way to the front door. When he finally reached it he heard a moan come from the couch behind him and he quickly rushed towards it. Katherine had been the one resting comfortably there. It was first decided that Kira was probably the most affected and should probably get the best bed, so she lay quietly upstairs in Dr. Oliver's bed, while Trent rested beside her in a comfy, cushioned chair. Although, Tommy wasn't dumb, he knew that Trent was probably lying right next to the pretty girl right now. At least that's what he would have done if it had been Kimberly.

Katherine was also in pain so she was moved to the next comfortable resting-place in the house, the fold out sofa in the living room. Ethan and Conner were in Dr. Oliver's office, which also had a futon and a recliner. Aisha was asleep in a recliner next to Kat in the living room and the other guys, along with Haley were stuck on the cots in the basement.

As Tommy approached Katherine she immediately dropped her mouth open as wide as it would go and started to let out a terrified scream. But, Tommy reacted quickly, putting his hand over her mouth. There was no reason to alarm anyone, especially after the day they had all had.

As his hand smothered Katherine's face she began to panic, her eyes moving every which way.

"Katherine," Tommy said softly next to her ear as he bent over her. "It's me, Tommy. Everything's going to be okay."

"Tommy?" Katherine repeated as Tommy removed his hand from her mouth and took a seat next to her on the bed.

"Yes, it's me," he assured her.

"What happened?" she asked in a whisper, "where are we?"

"Well," began Tommy, "we're in my living room in Reefside," he said soothingly. "You had us pretty scared there for a while," he paused, not wanting to tell Katherine the truth. "You see, Kimberly zapped you with a very powerful beam back in the forest."

"She did?" questioned Kat.

"Yes, you've been unconscious ever since," said Tommy regretfully. "Oh Kat, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen to you. It was all my fault."

"I don't understand," said Katherine, "how could this be your fault? You had no more control over the situation than I did."

"Actually I did," confessed Tommy as he helped Katherine sit up. "I kind of knew that Kimberly had some hostile feelings towards you before you got here. I knew the second you showed up that there would be trouble, but I just wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry," he said again trying to conceal the shake in his voice.

"Hostile feelings?" she questioned. "Why would Kimberly have hostile feelings towards me?"

Tommy struggled to look his ex-girlfriend in the eye, but she softly embraced his right hand in both of hers and somehow it relaxed him. He slowly began to explain,

"Kimberly wrote that letter because she was afraid that I was falling for you."

Katherine was a little taken aback by the statement as her eyes widened and she griped Tommy's hand a little tighter.

"She was afraid that I was going to leave her for you, so she let me go first," he continued. "I know it was ridiculous and I think that now she knows it too, but it's true."

Katherine suddenly clicked, "But the karate tournament!" she gasped out loud causing Aisha to stir. She and Tommy had done everything short of making out at that tournament.

Tommy put his pointer finger to his lips gesturing for her to be quiet.

"I know," he said, "she was still in love with me then. She was going to confess the whole thing that weekend and tell me that she still loved me. But, when she saw you and me together it was too late."

"Oh," said Katherine closing her eyes tightly, "I had no idea!"

"I know, I know," whispered Tommy. "It wasn't your fault. Neither of us had any idea."

"I feel terrible about this," began Katherine.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," said Tommy as he pulled his hands out of Katherine's grasp only to engulf the woman in his arms. "It's okay Kat, it was a long time ago. It would be stupid to get upset over it now because it's all over and done with, okay?"

"Yeah," muffled Katherine against his chest.

He could feel her tears soaking through his white undershirt and now he could smell her silky blond hair. She still used the same shampoo, it brought back so many memories. But, he was relieved to discover that it didn't bring back any of the old feelings, just the memory of them.

"Now," he said resting his cheek on top of her head, "I want you to get some more sleep. I know it probably feels like you've been asleep for ages, but you need your rest after everything you've been through. I promise we'll explain everything to you in the morning and Billy will run a scan on you and make sure there was no permanent damage."

"Okay," she agreed speaking in a normal volume.

Tommy released her and she lay back down under the covers as he stood up and turned around toward the front door, but before he could take a step she stopped him.

"Tommy, will you stay with me?" she asked. "Just until I fall asleep."

"Of course I will Kat," he said as he once again returned to the bed and sat down leaning against the sofa cushion. Katherine cuddled up next to him and rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beat, it had been so long since she'd heard that. It sounded really nice.

She never thought she would find herself in Tommy Oliver's arms again, but here she was. He was still so handsome and it had felt so good when he wrapped his muscular arms around her. But things were different now, they would never be the same again. He was still madly and desperately in love with Kimberly Hart. She could tell by the way he spoke of her. He didn't blame her for any of this, only himself.

Hell, who was she kidding? He had never fallen out of love with Kimberly, even when they were together. She always told herself when they were going out that he just missed Kim, but the feelings were gone. She had just been fooling herself and that's why she had let him go once she went off to college. She didn't have any kind of advantage anymore with a long distance relationship. Why would he pine after her when he could pine after Kim just as easily? But, for now she would just enjoy this moment of having the pleasure of falling asleep in Tommy's arms.

Tommy sat still as a rock with Katherine cradled in his arms. Soon he began to doze off to the even sound of Katherine's breaths. As he floated in and out of consciousness his lips cracked a smile. For a moment he had dreamt that it had been Kimberly in his arms.

In his dream the couple had been upstairs in his room on a chilly winter night. Only, it wasn't his room, it was their room. Kimberly had just come out of the bathroom in a pink satin nighty and joined him under the covers. Neither of them said a word, they just smiled at each other as she adjusted herself in his arms. Before long her head was resting on his chest and he could feel their hearts beating in unison. But suddenly he felt something strange happen inside of his chest. At first in his dream the two had felt it together, it felt as if they had been fused together and their eyes shot open in unison, just as he awoke from the dream. He found himself panting hard to catch his breath and sweat trickling down his temple.

"What just happened?" he asked out loud disappointed to find Katherine in his arms. She was still asleep but somehow he knew that where ever Kimberly was, she had felt it too.


	32. Things Are Starting To Look Up

_Hi everyone, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I've had a super stressful week and I actually think this chapter reflects that. I must confess it's not my best, but I promise the next one will be more exciting. I'm hoping to get it done this weekend. I really appreciated the reviews from last time and I hope this chapter doesn't scare you all away! So, I guess try to enjoy and please check back for more._

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"Cut out that racket!" yelled the gold beast as he shoved the rusted key in the lock, which had assured Kimberly would remain in the small cell through the night.

Kimberly quickly shoved her hand down the front of her light pink spaghetti strap dress before Goldar had a chance to notice. She had been feverishly working for the last couple of hours at her plan to basically stay alive. First things first though, making Lord Zedd believe the black dino gem was destroyed with the pink power coin. After Kimberly had been relieved of the evil and everything that came with it, including the costume she realized that maybe she wasn't so helpless after all.

Staring at Tommy's dino gem she noticed the bracelet had relented its grasp on her and the clasp appeared once again. The only problem was that once she got the bracelet off it was too bulky to hide on her person. There wasn't much you could conceal under the skimpy little dress. Why oh why out of all of the garments in her extensive wardrobe did she have to wear that dress on her date with Skull? She didn't even care to impress him; it just must have been a rule that when you're evil you have to be sexy too.

So, the only way to conceal the gem was to separate it from the bracelet. Kimberly undid the clasp quickly and removed the silver hardware from her wrist. She first examined the set of the gem and immediately discovered that there was no prying the thing loose. Deciding that Tommy probably hadn't been the one to construct the bracelet, given his lack of skill in shop class back in high school, Kimberly was left with no one to blame. Maybe Haley? It was stupid to care about that now and yet she was still jealous of the woman.

"Jealous of a female Billy," Kimberly said to herself out loud, "I can't imagine how this experience could get any stranger."

But, Kimberly's sense of humor was still not enough to shield her from her frustrations. Finally, she declared, "Oh the hell with it," as she began to slam the bracelet onto the hard marble floor repeatedly for at least a half-hour. Once she pulled it up from under the cloud of fog, which she absolutely loathed at this point, she noticed that there had been little to no damage done to the bracelet. But, determined to free the gem she simply found a different surface, the steel bars. That was about when Goldar approached her. Just as he appeared the gem had been successfully knocked loose and this time she wasn't taking any chances and made sure to catch it before it got lost in the white cloud. Reacting fast the dino gem now sat safely nestled inKimberly's bra. 'Tommy, the things I do for you,' she thought.

"Get up," yelled Goldar once again as he entered the cell and effortlessly pulled Kimberly up by her left arm. She was now aware that she had in fact been barefoot this entire time, the floor was freezing. Tommy must have removed her shoes when he put her in his bed after she 'fainted' the night before last. 'Don't think about that now Kimberly,' she thought trying not to remember what had occurred shortly after she had 'awoken'.

"What happened?" Goldar questioned accusingly. "Why aren't you morphed? Where's the power coin?"

"None of your damn business," Kimberly snapped as she struggled to break free.

"Lord Zedd is not going to be happy about this," Goldar said obviously not phased by Kimberly's hostility.

He commenced to drag the girl kicking and screaming up several flights of stairs to reach the main corridor. Kimberly knew that her struggles were useless, but why make the dumb ape's job easy on him?

As the pair entered the familiar lair Goldar tossed Kimberly to her knees in front of Lord Zedd who was perched on his throne with Rita at his side. Kimberly stood up immediately after gathering her bearings. She had no reason to bow to the emperor of darkness now.

"I see you have decided to rebel," began Lord Zedd, not at all surprised by Kimberly's defiance. "I suppose it's for the best."

"What?" screeched Rita.

"Well, my dear," he answered, "you have to admit Kimmy was a rather big let down as my Pink Ranger."

"You can say that again," said Rita glaring at the woman. "Now give it up girlie! We want our coin back!"

"Well, you can't have it back," said Kimberly as a smile grew across her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear," cut in Lord Zedd, "you must be confused, my wife is demanding that you return that coin to me this very second!" His voice erupted into echoes that sounded throughout the craft.

"No, you must be confused," returned Kimberly, holding her head high, "you can't have the coin back because it no longer exists."

"Zeddy," screamed Rita, "I don't like what I'm hearing make her give it back!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Zedd leaning forward in his throne.

"You heard me," replied Kimberly, "it's gone, poof, goodbye, nonexistent, no more," she continued sarcastically and loving every second of it.

"I don't believe you," said Lord Zedd, "that's impossible."

"Oh contraire, Zeddy," said Kimberly cutely, "It was destroyed by your favorite human of all time, Tommy Oliver."

"What?" gasped Zedd, "How? When?"

"How!" added in Rita.

"Well," explained Kimberly, "he didn't like physically destroy it, it's more like his dino gem destroyed it."

Lord Zedd, Rita, and Goldar were baffled and left speechless. Kimberly stood before them rocking back and forth on her heals with the biggest grin on her face.

"Okay," said Zedd finally breaking the silence, "then give me the dino gem, now."

"Sorry, can't help you old man," replied Kimberly, "the gem didn't make it either."

"I really don't care for her attitude," said Rita.

"Silence!" ordered Lord Zedd. "You will address me with respect Kimberly and you will return to me what is mine."

"I already told you," answered Kimberly somewhat annoyed, "they're both gone."

"That's it," declared Lord Zedd rising from his seat, "just remember Kimberly, you brought this upon yourself."

He aimed his staff directly at Kimberly releasing a blast that hit her so fast she never even saw the charge escape from the shinny, silver Z. She was on the ground and unconscious immediately.

"Goldar," demanded Zedd, "search her and then tie her up. I have plans for our former Pink Ranger. She may have failed at destroying Dr. Oliver, but she will most definitely succeed in luring him to his doom."

Tommy was awoken by the sound of Conner and Ethan's chuckles as they discovered their conservative science teacher entangled with the blonde bombshell in his arms. At first he had no idea what was so funny, had he worn only his boxers to bed? They weren't that immature, were they?

"Looks like Dr. O had an eventful night, Ethan," said Conner trying unsuccessfully to choke back the laughs.

Ethan was in such hysterics he couldn't even respond.

"Hey, that's enough guys," said Tommy seriously, afraid that they would wake up Katherine, but it was too late.

Katherine opened her blue eyes and allowed them to adjust to the scenery as she lifted her head off of Tommy's chest.

"Tommy?" she questioned starring him directly in the eyes. "What's going on?"

"That's what we would like to know," cracked Ethan.

Katherine starred at the two boys in confusion and then returned her gaze back to Tommy. He looked so good, even first thing in the morning. His stubble had become very heavy and he was definitely due for a shave, but it was very sexy.

"Don't mind them," began Tommy squirming to get out from under Katherine, "they just barely passed the second grade."

"Third, thank you very much," chuckled Conner as he gestured for Ethan to follow him to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

Everyone else had already convened in the kitchen, with the exception of Trent and Kira. They had all been pleasantly surprised that morning to find Katherine in Tommy's arms. By the couple's position everyone gathered that Katherine had woken up during the night. That was definitely cause to celebrate.

Meanwhile back in the living room Katherine had separated herself from Tommy not wanting to let go, but not wanting to let on to the fact that she had thoroughly enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat the night before.

"How are you feeling?" asked Tommy gently as he swung his feet around and planted them firmly on the floor.

"Well, I'm a little soar, but mainly it's just my head that really hurts."

"Why don't I walk you into the kitchen and Billy can go ahead and check you for any injuries or damage."

"Okay," agreed Katherine allowing Tommy to help her stand up and then escort her into the kitchen.

Everyone was elated when they saw Katherine enter the room. They all rushed her so quickly that she felt like a celebrity.

"Hey guys," interrupted Tommy, "take it easy, she's still not at a hundred percent."

Everyone heard Tommy but, they couldn't help themselves, they still took turns showering the woman in hugs. While the excitement was on Katherine, Tommy took it upon himself to sneak away to head upstairs to check on Trent and Kira, and for a long over due shower.

He slowly eased the door open afraid that he might wake Trent, but he was overtaken with relief when he saw the couple sitting up in the bed next to each other holding hands. They had been quietly discussing Kira's current condition but in spite of the shock and the pain Kira still managed to smile.

"Dr. O," she said excitedly, opening her arms to the man.

Tommy walked over to her and without second thought he engulfed her in a monstrous hug. It was highly inappropriate for a teacher student relationship, but very appropriate for a Power Ranger Power Ranger relationship.

"Are you okay?" asked Tommy overjoyed.

"Well, I guess I've been better," answered Kira, "but I have to admit the day's starting out pretty good." She turned her gaze towards Trent and Dr. Oliver got the hint.

"I guess that's my queue to go," he chuckled, releasing Kira. "I'm just going to grab a quick shower and you guys can head downstairs if you want, the guys are making breakfast."

"Come on," said Trent helping Kira out of the bed, "you won't believe who showed up after you got knocked out."

The two teenage lovebirds slowly exited the room and Tommy headed strait for the shower, maybe things were starting to look up. Katherine had woken up and appeared to be okay, and thank God so did Kira. Not only that, with Kat in commission he could now call on his old white tiger powers. Most importantly though, something had happend last night. It wasn't something he could ever describe or even really recall, but for a split second Kimberly had been with him and he promised himself that next time it would be for real.


	33. The Fog

_Wow, I can't believe how fun this chapter was to write. I just sat down and the ideas just kept coming and coming. I felt like the energizer bunny. I know I didn't update again over the weekend like I said I would, but hopefully this chapter will convince you to forgive me. By the way I was overjoyed to see how many of you responded to my last chapter, which I didn't much care for. But, I guess some of you did. Thanks for the encouragement, it really does mean a lot. Have fun!_

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By noon Tommy felt like he was literally going to burst. Why in the hell hadn't Zedd made his move? It had been nearly twenty-four hours since his last attack, what was he waiting for? In spite of Tommy's attempt to trick himself into believing that Kimberly was capable of taking care of herself in Lord Zedd's lair, his common sense had gotten the best of him. The night before when he had felt that strange connection to Kimberly it felt good to know that she was okay, but it also didn't feel right. He knew something was wrong, very wrong. 

"Hey man," interrupted the strong masculine voice that belonged to Jason, "I know you're probably sick of me asking this but how are you doing?"

Jason stepped outside and the screen door slammed behind him. Tommy retreated from his usual workout space in his vast backyard and joined the Red Ranger on the porch. Tommy had been roaming around the grounds for at least an hour just trying to come up with some sort of strategy. But it was a little hard to come up with a plan of attack when you had no clue where the bad guys actually were.

"Well, I've been better," Tommy replied to Jason's question hopelessly. "I can't stand much more of this bro. Zedd's got to make a move."

"Wait, wait, wait," said Jason in amazement, "are you telling me you finally let the macho man routine go?"

"It wasn't a macho man routine. It was a mind over matter strategy."

Jason looked at Tommy questioningly.

"That failed poorly," added Tommy surrendering to his best friend.

"Just hang in there Tommy," said Jason after a few seconds of silence. "Kim's been through so much in her life, some bad, but mostly good. There's no way she's going to let a little thing like Lord Zedd and Rita take it all away from her. She's especially not going to let them take her away from you."

Normally Tommy would have shot back at Jason with denial and defense at his suggestive comment of the couple's failed romance. But, he didn't have the strength to, not today; maybe not ever again. The fact of the matter was that the day he met Kimberly Hart she had stolen his heart away and when she left him she never gave it back, he didn't want it back.

"Tommy, oh Tommy…"

Tommy's head snapped up at the faint sound of the whisper of his name echoing through the forest. Jason reacted immediately too.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Yeah," replied Tommy suspiciously as he searched the grounds with his eyes. "It was probably just Ethan and Conner fooling around. Sometimes those guys have no tact or regard whatsoever," he admitted sorely to Jason.

"Tommy, Tommy…" said the sinister voice again as it began to grow wickedly familiar.

"There it was again," began Jason as he followed his friend down the porch steps, "and I don't think it's the voice of a teenage menace."

"Shhhh," snapped Tommy quickening his pace as he wound through trees and expertly avoided all the bushes that crossed his path.

A part of him was actually looking forward to greeting the owner of the voice. He didn't care that he had left his newly created power coin back at the house. He didn't care that it was now just him and Jason against the world's most feared evil. But, what he did care about was finding Kimberly and hopefully in one peace.

As the two men chased the calls they found themselves getting lost deeper and deeper in the forest. Neither of them had noticed when but at some point fog had begun to close in on them. Soon they could only see but two yards in front of them, at which point Jason tightly latched on to Tommy's shoulder. He knew that once they were separated it was pretty much over for the both of them. They never should have wondered so far alone, but even if he had tried to convince Tommy to turn around to retrieve the other's Tommy would have just said "do what you want but I'm not stopping."

"I'm going to call the other's," announced Jason, not even sure if Tommy had heard him because he was so focused on the beckon. It was almost as if he was hypnotized. Jason briefly released Tommy's shoulder to engage his communicator, but all he heard was a failed signal. He tried again and still no success. The two men stopped cold in their tracks.

"The signals gone," declared Jason almost panicked.

"Yeah," continued Tommy, "and something tells me it has something to do with this fog, which no doubt has something to do with Zedd."

Jason had a look of worry on his face, which normally would have at least made Tommy stop and consider the severity of his situation. But, not this time, he didn't hesitate once to turn around and keep moving.

"Tommy it's a trap," warned Jason as he looked up from his communicator. But, Tommy was no where in sight; in fact nothing was insight but walls and walls of the white abyss. The fog was so heavy that the man couldn't even see his own hand when he placed it directly in front of his face.

"Tommy!" yelled Jason, sure that his friend would answer back in annoyance. Silence. "Tommy!" he shouted again even louder. "This isn't funny! Where are you? Tommy! Tommy! Tommy!"

Jason was starting to get really panicked now, Tommy was no where to be found. Even worse than that the voice had completely diminished. Jason could hear nothing but silence. Reaching for his morpher Jason realized it was time to get serious. He pulled the silver mechanism from the back of his belt, but before he could swing it in front of him to call on the coin's great power the morpher was swiftly knocked out of his hand. He hadn't even seen what did it or who did it. But, like Tommy it was lost. Jason scurried to find it, running in circles, when suddenly he realized that losing his morpher was the least of his problems.

Meanwhile, Tommy continued on his journey. The voice still rung fresh through his ears. The fog was thick but it didn't worry him, in fact all it did was prove to be an annoyance. Soon he found himself at the edge of a tiny ledge where a gigantic tree root had protruded out of the ground. Below it was about a ten-foot drop and man was Tommy relieved that he had seen it before it resulted in a sprained ankle.

"Watch you're step bro," he said casually as he jumped off the ledge and landed safely on the leaves and brush below. He quickly moved out of the way so Jason wouldn't end up landing right on top of him, but there was just one problem. He never heard Jason's feet hit the ground; in fact he heard nothing.

"Jas," he hollered behind him, "quit fooling around we don't have all day."

But, Jason didn't respond.

"Jason?" he questioned in confusion. "Where did you go?"

But, still nothing.

"Jason!" he yelled loudly. "Jason! Jason! Jas-" he stopped short realizing it was useless.

Lord Zedd had been successful in splitting the two friends up. Before Tommy would allow himself to worry for his best friend he reminded himself that Jason was just as capable as he was if not more. Just then the voice returned, but it wasn't echoing through the trees, originating from some remote location. No, it could be heard as plain as day and Tommy felt the warm, moist breath of the source breathing down his neck and he froze.

"Hey, has anyone seen Dr. O?" asked the cute petite girl as she entered her science teacher's living room.

Everyone had been present in the room, well everyone but herself, Jason and Dr. Oliver.

"Haven't seen him, girl," said Zack casually as he tossed a kernel of popcorn up in the air and waited patiently for it to land perfectly in his mouth.

All of the Rangers, old and new had spent the last couple of hours brainstorming a solution or at least some sort of a plan. Tommy had cut out quite some time ago. Everyone figured he just needed some air, it wasn't until he had been gone for nearly an hour that Jason decided he should probably check on him.

"I think he and Jason are out back," said Kat sweetly as she tried to fight back a yawn unsuccessfully. She still hadn't recovered from the day before. "Oh excuse me," she said apologizing for her bad manners.

"No," said Kira factually, "they're not there anymore."

"What?" said Conner casually not really giving much thought to the possibilities.

"Well, I was in the kitchen doing the dishes when Jason went outside to find Dr.O and I heard them talking on the porch for a little while. But then I suddenly realized after a few minutes that the voices stopped."

"So maybe they went for a walk," said Ethan as he battled Conner for the plastic bowl of popcorn that was being passed around.

"In this fog?" questioned Kira, "that's not very likely. I just went outside to call them in but I couldn't see beyond the porch."

"Fog?" asked Haley, "What are you talking about sweetie it's as clear as the ocean outside," she gestured towards the living room window where bright golden sunlight filtered in through the black mesh shades.

"Maybe I should run some more tests on you Kira," offered Billy kindly, "maybe there's something Haley and I overlooked. Are you feeling okay?"

"For the millionth time I'm fine!" declared Kira raising her voice.

She was so sick of the way everyone had been treating her since she woke up that morning. Everyone acted like she was as delicate as an egg. Even Trent had been trying her nerves, not allowing her out of his site. She practically had to fight him off with a stick before he let her separate from him for fifteen minutes to take a shower.

"Calm down Kira," said Trent soothingly as he rose from his seat on the bench in front of the fireplace.

He walked towards Kira and extended his hand to her in consolation. But, she didn't take it; she only stared at him in disgust.

"As you were," she huffed sourly as she turned around and walked back into the kitchen.

"What's gotten into her?" asked Aisha not caring for the young Yellow Ranger's attitude.

"Yeah, pardon me for caring," said Trent to himself as he watched the girl disappear behind the corner. After a slight hesitation he decided to follow her.

"Wait," interrupted Billy, "just let her be Trent. She's probably just frustrated with everything that's going on."

"Billy's right," continued Haley. "You know how Kira is, she can't stand seeing her friends suffer and not be able to do anything about it."

"Yeah," said Conner, "especially when it comes to Dr. O."

Everyone stared at Conner questioningly.

"Oh come on," whined Conner, "don't tell me I'm the only one to have picked up on their 'relationship,'" he raised his hands in the air and made quotation marks with his fingers.

"I must say, I'm impressed," said Ethan with a giant grin on his face.

"What?" questioned Conner, "they're like so obvious."

"No," replied Ethan, "I'm impressed that you used the quotations correctly.

Every soon erupted into chuckles, disregarding Conner's comments about Tommy and his student. Everyone knew their relationship was a little strange, but Tommy's friends understood that it was because of Kim. When they first met Kira she had reminded them of Kimberly immediately.

Kira shuffled into the kitchen once again and headed straight for the refrigerator. She opened the door and fished out a can of ginger ale. Closing the door she muttered curses to herself. Sometimes it was so hard being a girl. Popping open the can, Kira briefly wondered what it must have been like for Kimberly back when she was a Ranger. She had been as tiny as herself and not only that her color was pink! She must have really gotten the damsel in distress treatment. But, knowing Dr. O, it was probably welcomed. Speaking of Dr. O, where was he?

Kira stepped to the side and peered out the widow, but all she could see was a distressed wooden porch enclosed by a curtain of white and gray. After taking a gigantic gulp of soda she set the can down on the counter and headed outside. Once on the porch she called for her teacher.

"Dr. O!" she yelled not too loud but loud enough to be heard within a fair distance.

She heard no response and suddenly she got the chills. She wrapped her arms around her chest and rubbed them in an attempt to warm up.

"Dr. O!" she hollered again, even louder as she cupped her hands around her mouth.

She started to realize that the stupid fog was only reflecting her yells back at her. Maybe if she got further out he could hear her. So, she stepped off the porch and was shocked to find that she couldn't see a damn thing.

"Dr. O?" she questioned meekly somewhat annoyed at herself for allowing fear to creep in.

But, there was nothing. Before allowing her mind to become poisoned with uncertainty Kira decided that she preferred the ridiculous treatment back in the house over the scared and helpless feeling inside of her right now. So, she turned around and stepped up expecting her black boot to land on the bottom step of the porch, but there was nothing there except dirt. She took a few more steps surprised that she hadn't realized just how far she had gone from the porch. Still, nothing. Spinning in circles Kira was beginning to feel panic. Grasping at her chest to catch her breath she didn't like where she was at all.

"Dr.O," she pleaded. "Help me! Somebody!" but she was still alone.

It was the most horrible feeling she had ever felt, it was even worse than the time the tyranodrones kidnapped her and took her to Mesogog's island fortress. Little did she know it was about to get worse, when suddenly she felt something encircling her right arm. For all she knew it could have just been a stray weed or branch from a tree, but she wasn't taking her chances as she took off running not concerned with the direction. As she ran further and further she tried desperately to avoid any trees, but wasn't always successful. She couldn't even begin to count the bruises she was going to have the next day if it ever even came. Tears began to drip from her eyes in masses and the screams had literally been scared out of her. She thought she could hear footsteps behind her, but she wasn't sure, and there was no way she was going to stop to find out. But suddenly, without warning she found herself in mid air and falling fast. She tried to scream but she couldn't. Then, she remembered her dino gem, just in time. "Dino Thunder Power Up, ha," she mouthed as she fell faster and faster. But the yellow pterodactyl never appeared on her wrist, her bracelet along with her dino gem was gone. All she could do now was listen for the sound of her bones crashing to the ground.


	34. He Wanted To Kill Him

_Hello all, I am very pleased with the response I recieved on the last chapter. Thank you all so very much! I realized that it's been a few chapters since I expressed my gratitude, so I am doing it now in the form of my next chapter. You may want to read the last chapter again before you read this one, just to help make the connections, but it's up to you. Enjoy._

* * *

Jason stared up at the Gold monster, which hovered above him. Due to the fog he could only make out the beast's silhouette along with two red glowing eyes. Jason was not the least bit surprised that it had been Goldar who had knocked his morpher out of his hands. But, he was somewhat intimidated. It had been quite a few years since he had encountered the goon and if he recalled correctly Goldar had always proved to be a worthy opponent.

"Shame on you Red Ranger," began Goldar towering above Jason. "I bet you never guessed your precious power coin would lead you to your doom."

"What are you talking about Goldar!" Jason shouted as a demand rather than a question, trying to stand firm and not allow his apprehension to show.

"Well Red Ranger, incase you hadn't noticed it is a little foggy out here. I never would have found you had it not been for your coin. It's an energy source which is very easily detectable because it is so, shall I say, unwelcomed."

"So your saying my powers would do more harm than good," stated Jason, doubting Goldar's claims.

"Oh no, I'm saying your power coin does more harm than good because it's like bate on a hook," explained Goldar. "Your powers don't even work in the cloud unless you morph into them before entering the fog."

Jason didn't like what he was hearing, but regardless he needed to find his morpher and get the hell out of there and find Tommy. Thank God Tommy hadn't taken his power coin with him. Jason remembered seeing it resting safely on the control panel back in the command center right before he went out to find him. He had actually even considered bringing the coin to Tommy but decided against it.

"Tell me Goldar," said Jason, "who else is out here?"

"You know, the usual," responded Goldar casually as he charged at Jason. He too was blinded by the fog, but Goldar was never one to get discouraged so early in the game.

"The usual?" question Jason as he dodged the beast's advances and followed with a spinning kick to Goldar's stomach of steel.

Goldar recovered quickly. "Yes the usual," he continued as he swung his sword at Jason, "Lord Zedd and just a small army of warriors."

Jason rolled on the ground barely missing the sword's blade, "Small army?" he questioned rising from the ground and attempting to kick Goldar's sword out of his hand.

Goldar was too quick for Jason and managed to dodge his kick. "Yes a small army of some of your favorite opponents from the past."

"Mind elaborating?" asked Jason as he and Goldar sparred as if it had been a rehearsed routine, in a way it actually had been.

"Actually I do," answered Goldar becoming winded but far from giving up, "let's just say I feel sorry for anyone that takes more than two steps off that porch." He gestured with his hand in the direction of the porch.

Jason silently mocked the idiot in his head for giving away the direction home, but he was glad the big dumb ape was so, well dumb.

"Well," said Jason smartly as he backed away from Goldar, "it's been fun, I guess I never realized how much I haven't missed this or you."

With that he swiftly dropped to the ground and kicked Goldar's legs right out from under him, and then he took off running in the direction Goldar had gestured towards. He ran for what seemed like forever, he was sure Goldar hadn't followed or at least if he had he was too far behind him to ever catch up. Jason had decided that his morpher was not terribly important right now, it would only blow his cover, so he left it. He knew it was risky, but even if Goldar did get a hold of it, it wasn't like the coin was even any good without him. The power needed him to work, and without him it was just a plain old coin.

Soon Jason found himself coming to a halt. He could have sworn that he heard a voice, but whom? It sounded like a female but he couldn't make out what she was saying. Immediately he thought it was Kim, so he continued running towards it when he realized whom it had been.

The girl stood only a few feet in front of him with her back towards him and she was obviously shaken. Jason didn't want to startle her, but she was an open target. In spite of the thick fog the yellow gem sparkled vibrantly on her right wrist. The first thing that entered Jason's mind was, _a power source_. Quickly he reached for the bracelet on which the gem was contained. There was no time to explain, he had to get the gem as far away from the girl as possible. There was no telling how many of Zedd's henchmen had already been hot on her trail. As he wrapped his fingers around Kira's wrist she immediately jumped and before he knew it she was gone.

"Kira!" he yelled after her as he chucked her bracelet along with the dino gem as far as he could throw.

But, she didn't hear him, so he took off after her. It was difficult to keep up with the young girl because she had an adrenaline rush like Jason had never seen. Plus the fog didn't help either. He continued to call her name loudly, but she just kept running and running. He saw her smash into trees and stumble over shrubs, but he just couldn't catch her. The faster he ran the faster she ran, until she disappeared completely.

* * *

"Can we please decide on something!" moaned Conner as he hunched over in his seat.

He and everyone else had become quite exhausted brainstorming all day, but him mostly. At this point the two teams had managed to narrow the plan down to two options. The first was to attempt to lure Lord Zedd out of hiding by sending a surrender signal through the morphing grid and hope he picked up on it. But, they were pretty sure that Zedd was much smarter than that. The second option was to combine their powers and channel them all into one Ranger, Tommy and teleport him to Zedd's location. The only problem with that was that they still had no idea where that location was and it was very risky to send one Ranger out all alone.

"Look," continued Conner with exaggeration, "why don't we just ask Dr. O his opinion? After all, he is the one that will be affected the most."

"I think that may be the smartest thing to come out of you mouth today," stated Ethan relieved by Conner's solution.

"I suppose that would be the best idea," agreed Katherine as she massaged her temples. Her head never stopped pounding all day, and all of the stress of having to come up with a plan definitely hadn't helped.

"I agree with Kat," confirmed Aisha, "Tommy is the leader, I just didn't want to have to burden him with this decision too, along with everything else."

"That may be so Aisha," cut in Billy, "but Tommy is the leader. He willingly took on the responsibility and although it may not be easy he ultimately has to be the one to make the call."

"Well said my man," said Zack with a shake of the head.

"Then I guess all that's left now is to present Tommy with his options," said Haley with a look of hesitation on her face.

Nobody wanted to force their friend and leader to have to make such a difficult decision. But what choice did they have? Kimberly's situation definitely wasn't improving and neither was Tommy's. All day long everyone watched as Tommy grew more and more impatient. The stress was taking its toll on him and they all knew that if something didn't happen soon Tommy's health would suffer.

"Okay then, it's decided," declared Trent as he rose from his seat. "I'll go find Dr. O and Jason."

"Thanks Trent," said Billy as he turned to Haley ready to discuss strategy to track down Zedd's hiding place.

Little did they know Trent just wanted an excuse to find Kira, who he assumed was with Dr. O by now. He had heard the back door open at least a half hour ago and he figured she must have found Dr. O and Jason outside. Turning the corner, Trent entered the kitchen. He noticed how dark the room was and was forced to switch on the light. He saw an open can of ginger ale sitting on the counter and he figured it was Kira's. Grabbing the can he then reached for the screen door and pushed it open. Stepping outside Trent was shocked at what he saw. The porch was completely surrounded by a thick heavy fog. Kira hadn't been imagining things, the fog did exist. Then where were she and Dr. O?

* * *

Tommy stood frozen and shocked in the middle of the clouded forest. Before he couldn't wait to get his hands on the evil and disgusting master of darkness, Lord Zedd. But now that the ruler stood so close behind him that he could feel his warm moist breath breathing down his neck, he couldn't even move. It almost felt as if he had been paralyzed and suddenly a great fear had swept over him. If Lord Zedd had done all of this had he paralyzed him too?

"Nice to see you again Tommy," whispered the voice vindictively in Tommy's ear. "Did you miss me? Ha, ha, ha…" Lord Zedd erupted into laughter.

Tommy struggled as Zedd's laughter only motivated him more, and finally his muscles became operable. He moved away from Zedd and was now facing him.

"Miss you?" said Tommy taking a defensive stance, "I can't even stand the site of you."

Zedd finally brought his laughter under control, "That's too bad Tommy, we could have been such good friends. After all, I did bring a present for you."

With that Lord Zedd waved his hand as the fog began to clear in front of him and there, only about twenty yards away was the object of Tommy's affection, Kimberly. She was tied to a tree with rope surrounding her like a vine. Her head hung down, her chin resting on her chest, she was obviously unconscious. Tommy briefly lost his breath and had to take several deep breaths to recover. The shock of seeing Kimberly defeated and vulnerable was almost more than he could handle. She looked so sweet and innocent, nothing like the last time he had seen her. She was Kimberly again and everything should have been perfect, but it was so far from that. Her face was so pale and the circles around her eyes were so dark. For a moment the possibility that she might not have survived entered Tommy's mind but he immediately pushed it out. He was too close now to have lost her.

"Kimberly," Tommy said to himself in relief and fear all at the same time. "What have you done to her Zedd!" he demanded as he looked Lord Zedd straight in the eye.

"Never you mind that Tommy," he answered. "The point is she's here and she's all yours."

At that Tommy took off running toward her, his feet moving faster than he ever thought possible. He didn't understand why Zedd was being so generous, it made absolutely no sense, but he didn't care. It seemed as the though the closer he got to her the further away she was, but finally he reached her. He tore at the ropes fiercely, ripping them in half with his own two hands. Soon the limp and possibly lifeless, fragile body fell into his arms. He embraced her warmly as he lowered her to the ground where she finally rested in his arms.

"Kimberly," he said aggressively, studying her face. He carefully brushed some stray hairs away from her eyes and called to her again.

"Kimberly," he said coolly. "Wake up," he waited for a response. "Kimberly," his voice was becoming nervous and shaken. "Kimberly!" he began to yell.

But it was no use, she wouldn't budge. Tommy could feel his throat tighten as water gathered underneath his eyes, blurring his vision. He reached for her pulse on her neck, but his hands were shaking profusely. It took everything in him to steady them so that he might check for a sign of life. His ears were attacked with Lord Zedd's evil laughter, which was uncontrollable now. Looking up he could see the hateful being basking in all his glory. He wanted to kill him.

* * *

_I realize that most of you probably don't like the direction in which this story is going, but remember I like to play with your heads. Plus, there's nothing better than a good cliffhanger. So, please don't get too frustrated with me and come back for the next chapter because I promise you will not be disapointed. Thanks for you patience._


	35. It's Morphin Time

_Alright guys, we're nearing the end, sadly. I think there's probably only about maybe 3 or4 chapters left. It's been really fun and you guys have all been AMAZING. And that's why I think I'm going to start a brand new fic when I'm done with this one. So, at this point I think it's a good time to get some ideas and suggestions from all of you for the next story. Obviously I'm a Tommy and Kimberly fan, so please keep it that way. Thanks for the reviews last time, I'm glad I made you all sweat it. Please enjoy and review!_

* * *

Tommy stared down at the once bright and beautiful face of his one true love. In all of his life he had never seen a sight quite like it, but now it hardly resembled the face he remembered. Kimberly lay limp in his arms; her hair tangled and disheveled, her skin as pale as snow. Tommy pressed his fingers to her neck praying for a pulse, but he couldn't feel one. His hand was shaking violently as the chuckles coming from Lord Zedd's direction proved to be too distracting. Finally, Tommy realized the devastating reality of the situation, Kimberly was gone. Immediately he collapsed over her small body with tears filling his eyes, and his chest heaving in despair.

"What's the matter Tommy," began Zedd, "did you lose something?"

Tommy had heard him but he didn't care to respond. Nothing mattered right now, not even Lord Zedd. What was the point anyway, for all Tommy cared the world could have ended right then and there and it wouldn't have mattered to him one bit. He continued to weep into the woman, his head was nestled in her neck and his arms engulfed her relentlessly. Pain had taken over his body, he couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he couldn't even think. He was stunned.

Lord Zedd continued to mock his archrival with unyielding satisfaction, "I know you blame me Tommy. But, let me let you in on a little secret, she did this to herself. I gave her one simple mission and the imbecile couldn't even accomplish that. She was dead weight Tommy."

Soon feeling began to come back into Tommy's bones and in his head. Lord Zedd had struck a bad cord, yanking Tommy back to reality.

"Why did you do this?" he pleaded weakly. He knew that Zedd deserved a roundhouse kick straight to the head, and Tommy would have been happy to give it to him. But, that would have meant that he would have had to let Kimberly go, and he didn't want to do that, not yet, not ever.

"Well, Kimberly was given orders to destroy you, I told her I didn't care how she did it just as long as the job was done," answered Lord Zedd from across the forest. "But, sadly she was unsuccessful in that mission, but at least she succeeded in steeling your dino gem, which by the way she ultimately destroyed."

Tommy registered what Zedd had just said, his dino gem destroyed? That couldn't be, what about the Rangers? What about Mesogog? What about the destruction of Lord Zedd and Rita? The temporary powers just weren't going to last long enough to hold them all off.

"I figured," continued Lord Zedd, "that I had basically already defeated you. Sure you have your pathetic bunch of teenagers and your team of has-beens, but that's child's play for me. No Tommy, it just wasn't enough to know that shortly your end would come. I still wasn't satisfied; I wanted to see you suffer before I got rid of you forever. But then a brilliant idea sparked in my wicked little head. What if I didn't destroy you? What if I let you live?"

Tommy broke away from Kimberly and stared up at Lord Zedd curious of what he was getting at.

"Answer me this Tommy," said Zedd, "what's worse than a fallen ranger?"

Tommy didn't respond, but tightened his grip on Kimberly instead.

"I'll tell you what's worse," said Zedd answering his own question, "a powerless ranger with nothing to live for." Lord Zedd was overcome with laughter. "No revenge is sweeter than watching you suffer for the rest of your days like you have made me suffer for the past decade! So here's you payback Tommy Oliver," Lord Zedd gestured towards the mass resting in Tommy's arms, "isn't she beautiful! Ha, ha, ha…"

Tommy couldn't handle it anymore, his will was gone, his spirit demolished, Lord Zedd had won, and he was right, Tommy had nothing to live for. Once again he collapsed into Kimberly, hoping to hear a heart beat or a breath, but he heard neither. Instead he heard something else faintly enter his ear.

"Tommy," said the whisper, "don't you dare move."

Tommy froze as the warm air tickled his earlobe. He couldn't believe it, was he hearing things? Was he imagining things?

"Tommy," the voice continued, "reach down the front of my dress and into my bra, now."

Tommy was definitely stunned this time, he highly doubted that this was the appropriate time for such things. But he felt Kimberly's shoulders tighten in an effort to nudge him along. So, slowly Tommy pulled Kimberly too his chest, facing her back towards Lord Zedd who was too busy celebrating to notice the hidden connection. Carefully Tommy followed Kimberly's instructions as he eased his right hand down the front of her silk dress. He considered just how ironic it was that the first time he got down Kimberly's shirt he would have preferred to have not done it at all. Something felt really wrong about feeling up Kimberly when just seconds ago he was mourning her loss.

Kimberly was also uncomfortable with the situation. She had been fortunate that Lord Zedd's blast back on Serpentera II had done nothing but shock her. The black dino gem must have shielded her from the blow, for she was not hurt. She was also lucky that Goldar was so incompetent and had failed to search her thoroughly, actually she was more than lucky for that one. After she realized Zedd had assumed he had finished her off she decided the best option was to actually play dead. And that's exactly what she had done up to this point. She thought Tommy would have surely blown her cover right away, but his body was shaking so fiercely he couldn't distinguish her breaths from his.

Kimberly felt incredibly awkward as Tommy's hands roamed space between the soft fabric of her dress and her chest. And she had to stay as still as a board if she was going to pull this one off, but it was nearly impossible! She could tell by the hesitance of his hand that he also was not comfortable with the situation and she was half expecting him burst out in a million apologies.

But, Tommy's fingers finally found the treasure he had been searching for. The cool rigid stone came as a surprise to Tommy since Lord Zedd had said it had been destroyed. Tommy quickly retrieved the gem and Kimberly immediately came to life for Lord Zedd to see, just as Tommy raised the gem chanted, "Dino thunder power up, ha!"

* * *

Kira opened her clenched eyes slowly as her muscles tightened. She was more than shocked to find herself suspended in mid air. The fog was still too thick to see the ground below her or anything around her, so the only place to look was up. That's when she realized that she wasn't floating in mid air, but someone was holding her up by the hood of her sweatshirt. Unable to see who it was that had come to her rescue, Kira was just thankful that the person was pulling her up and in no time she would be safely resting on her own two feet. But when she finally felt the grainy soil under her, she was ready to take her chances at the bottom of the drop.

As Kira looked up to greet her savior, she let out her ear piercing ptera scream, knocking the gold beast to the ground. He was by far the scariest monster she had ever encountered and just as luck would have it she of course had to encounter him alone. Or maybe not. As Kira stood up she realized that she was not alone, there was someone else lying on the ground not too far from her, it was Jason. He was obviously recovering from a hit that was no doubt launched by Goldar. Kira rushed to his side and helped him up before the monster had a chance to recover.

"Jason!" she said pulling him up with all of her might.

Jason rose swiftly and lightly shoved the young girl behind him, "Stay back Kira," he ordered taking a karate stance.

"I don't understand," she began paying no attention to his orders, "what's going on? Where's Dr. O?"

"I have no idea," answered Jason not taking his eyes off Goldar. "The fog is being generated by Lord Zedd. My guess is that he wanted to get Tommy alone, and he was successful. This forest is littered with monsters, right now I suggest you and I just focus on staying alive."

"Sure, no problem," answered Kira sarcastically, as she too took a fighting stance, "that won't be so hard, especially without my powers. Please tell me you have yours."

Jason shook his head and then lunged at Goldar, "No, the power coins and the dino gems don't work in the fog, they only make us fish bate!" He began battling Goldar, and soon Kira joined in.

"What!" she yelled, "Are you telling me that you're the one that stole my bracelet?" she kicked Goldar in the back causing him to lunge forward as Jason's foot met his chest.

"Yeah," replied Jason, "trust me, it was for your own good."

Kira rolled her eyes but was quickly stunned when Goldar's fist met her stomach, bringing her to the ground. "Oomf," she said landing hard.

Jason immediately came to her aid, but was also hit and tossed to the ground. He immediately sprang up and pulled Kira up with no effort using just one arm. He dragged her behind him as the couple approached the drop off with Goldar following close behind.

"On three!" declared Jason clenching Kira's hand so tight that there was no way she was getting loose.

"Are you insane!" she demanded coming to a halt behind him. "We have no idea what's down there!"

Jason looked her in the eye and gave her a reassuring grin gesturing behind him. "It can't be much worse than what's up here."

Kira looked behind her noticing the gold ape was only yards behind them. "Good point," she said closing her eyes and bracing for impact.

But Jason never counted to three; he just pulled the girl with him as the two embarked upon the free fall.

* * *

Trent stared out into the fog for a few moments pondering the possibilities.

"Kira," he yelled into the fog, "Kira!"

He heard no response, so he took the first step down from the porch and embarked upon the second when he nearly stumbled down the rest of the way. Catching his balance Trent squatted down on the second step and spotted the culprit, it was a very familiar looking bracelet. Picking it up Trent immediately knew whose it was. And he burst through the back door and scaled across the kitchen into the living room faster than he ever thought possible.

"Something's wrong," he announced holding up Kira's bracelet for everyone to see.

"Where'd you get that?" questioned Haley immediately.

"Outside on the porch steps," replied Trent quickly, "Kira wasn't making up stories, the fog out back is so thick I couldn't even see the steps until I tripped on the bracelet."

"But where's Kira?" asked Conner with intense concern that shocked everybody.

"I don't know," responded Trent, ignoring Conner's obvious enthusiasm for the girl that he shared his affections with. "Her, Dr. O, and Jason are nowhere to be found."

Everyone swiftly rose from their seats and within seconds flooded the porch in amazement.

"Let's go," said Conner hastily as he approached the steps.

"Wait a minute," said Billy, "I think there's more to this fog than we think."

"Like what," asked Ethan, preparing to follow his friend into the unknown.

"I don't know," replied Billy, "but we can't be getting ahead of ourselves here, obviously it's not safe or else we probably would have heard from the others by now."

"Billy's right," confirmed Haley. "Try and contact Tommy with your bracelet, Conner."

Conner raised his wrist to his mouth, "Dr. O," he called. But there was no signal.

Aisha repeated the motion with her communicator and all she picked up was a failed signal.

"I think this is serious guys," said Kat, obviously worried.

"Well, we can't just stand here," said Zack stepping up and joining Conner and Ethan at the end of the porch.

"This goes against all of my best judgement," began Billy, "but something tells me that we don't have time to investigate this fog. I think the other's need us, and I mean now."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Dino thunder power up, ha," yelled Conner in unison with Billy who yelled, "It's morphin time!"


	36. Pink and Yellow

_Alright, alright, I know I'm terrible taking so long to update. On top of that this chapter isn't very long either. But, I promise to have another one up in the next couple of days, so don't fret. Thaks for the reviews last time, but I still need ideas for my next fic. Don't be shy!_

* * *

Kira and Jason landed on the ground, and hard. Their feet hit the dirt and leaves so forcefully that they found themselves in a squat position at the bottom of the cliff.

"You okay?" asked Jason turning to Kira.

"Never been better," she choked as she swallowed the pain in her ankles and shins that was generated from the impact.

Before either of them even had a chance to rise they realized that they had just interrupted something they were not in a million years expecting to see. Only yards in front of them stood Lord Zedd irate with fury and across from him was Tommy, and it appeared that he had just pulled his hand out of the top of Kimberly's dress. Both of them blinked in astonishment, mostly because of Tommy's gesture.

Tommy rose from the ground in unison with Kimberly who backed away considerably while Tommy called upon the powers of his dino gem. He was immediately shocked and disappointed to find that his call went unanswered.

"What's going on?" he asked out loud to no one in particular.

Lord Zedd once again busted with laugher, "Ha, ha, ha…You naive, wretched, powerless man! Surprise, surprise Tommy, your powers don't work in the fog. Your helpless!"

"I may be powerless," began Tommy in his defense, "but I'll take you on anytime and in any form."

"Then so be it, but I must warn you civilian, you won't even live to be sorry," finished Lord Zedd.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," cut in Jason finally making his presence known and stepping up to the fight.

Just then Goldar landed on the ground with no problem, next to Kira. She immediately squealed and took off running in Dr. Oliver's direction; there was no one she felt safer with.

"Let's make this a fair fight," declared Goldar drawing his sword from the holster, paying no attention to Kira as she scurried across the clearing.

"You can have the red one," announced Lord Zedd to his henchman, "but the doctor is mine."

"Thank you my lord," replied Goldar as he took his stance across from Jason.

Meanwhile, Kimberly watched in horror as the two men in this world she cared most about were about to engage in a battle that would most likely result in their doom. She quickly waved Kira over to her just as Kira reached Tommy who gave her a 'get the hell out of here look.' Kira joined Kimberly behind a tree that was undoubtedly no protection from the fight. Kimberly pulled Kira by the arm and lowered both of them to the ground.

"Are you alright sweetie?" she asked the young girl as she secretly thanked the Lord that she had not permanently hurt the girl back when she was the evil Pink Ranger.

"Uh-huh," responded Kira as she tried desperately to catch her breath, using Kimberly to help her keep her balance.

Kira was amazed at just how beautiful the woman actually was, even though she looked like she hadn't seen a mirror in quite some time. Kira had seen pictures of Kimberly course, but she was still in shock.

"Good," continued Kimberly, "we have to find a way to help them." She nudged her head in the men's direction. They were now engaged in a very heated and physical battle. But, it appeared Lord Zedd had actually decided to play fair and had put his staff down for the fight. That was a good thing, right? At least it would buy some time.

"Oh please don't tell me you want to take them on without powers," pleaded Kira leaning her head against the bark, exhausted from her journey so far. "I don't know if I have it in me."

"Yeah, you and me both," replied Kimberly in consensus, "Come on." Kimberly took the girl's hand and pried her off the ground.

"Um," started Kira, "where are we going?"

"If only I knew," answered Kimberly. "Do you have your dino gem?"

"No," snapped Kira in agitation with Jason, who disposed of her gem a while back.

"Sorry," said Kimberly stunned at the girl's response.

"Oh, no, um," stumbled Kira in embarrassment. She hadn't done a very good job of impressing who had to be the best female Ranger of all time. "It's just that Jason tossed it somewhere earlier, he said it would attract monsters."

"Monsters?" questioned Kimberly, still walking briskly, which wasn't easy since she was barefoot. She had to stop and rub her feet every dozen steps or so.

"Yeah," explained Kira, "that ugly gold monkey said there was a whole army of them out here. Which is why I am so curious as to why you are separating us from the men."

"Goldar's full of it," said Kimberly quickly and casually as they approached a rock wall, which Kira equated with the drop off she had just fallen from, not thrilled at the possibility of having to scale it.

Kimberly honestly believed that Goldar had been telling the truth, but there was no reason to scare the girl any more than she already was. This place was a maze, what were the chances that they would even encounter a monster?

"We've circled around the guys," announced Kimberly looking up at the wall, unable to see the top. "Is this where you came from?"

Amazed at Kimberly's composure and drive Kira responded diligently, "Yes, I'd say it's a good ten foot drop if not more."

"Nice," said Kimberly under her breath as she searched for a foot and handhold. "You ever been rock climbing?"

"Once, with my uncle," responded Kira sheepishly.

"Well, now you can say you've done it twice," Kimberly found her grips and continued her careful maneuver.

Kira paid close attention to Kimberly's foot and hand holds. The two were about the same size so she should have been able to do it the same way with no problem. Soon Kira stepped up to the wall and was surprised to find that it wasn't the challenge she thought it was going to be. When they reached the top Kimberly steadied herself on level ground and then helped Kira up.

"Thanks," said Kira.

"Don't mention it," replied Kimberly as she rested her gaze on a tree, which had a thick trunk, it most likely was fairly tall.

Kimberly started strait for the tree and stopped only to find foot holes.

"Wait!" said Kira tugging Kimberly down, "where are you going?"

"I'm climbing the tree," answered Kimberly like it was a walk in the park. "I'm thinking this tree is tall enough to peek out of the fog. If that's the case then most likely I can spot Tommy's house, and we'll know which direction to go in."

"And then we can go get the others," finished Kira in relief that they actually had a plan.

"Exactly!" shouted Kimberly who was already pretty high in the tree.

Kira waited patiently at the base of the tree for the former Pink Ranger. By now Kimberly had exited her view but Kira wasn't too worried. As strange as it seemed, even though this was the scariest predicament she had ever been in she was actually kind of glad to be in it. She was extremely impressed with Kimberly who had kept a cool head and an optimistic outlook the entire time. For a second Kira wondered how she would look in pink herself and then giggled at the thought. Just the day before she despised and feared the woman with incredible fury and now she aspired to be like her.

"Done," said Kimberly as she jumped off the lowest tree branch and landed perfectly.

"So where is it?" asked Kira eagerly.

"North," replied Kimberly.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy," said Kira sarcastically, "but unless you also have a compass in that bra, we're going to get turned around faster than the speed of light."

"You ever heard of the moss growing on the north side of the tree," replied Kimberly smartly, returning the Yellow Ranger's sarcasm.

"Oh, yeah," answered Kira humbly, "good call."

Kimberly was amazed at her own composer and surprising intelligence. She didn't recall ever being this smart, maybe the whole mentor, protégé thing brought out the best in her.

"So you saw the bra thing?" asked Kimberly shyly, after the two girls had been walking in silence for a few minutes.

"Yup," answered Kira trying to cover up her smile. "And let me tell you, I never want to see my science teacher's hand anywhere near there ever again!"

The two girls broke out in giggles, Kimberly reverting back to her old high school behavior, and Kira actually not afraid to act like a teenager.

"You know Kira," began Kimberly, taking on a more serious tone, "I just wanted you to know that I am truly sorry for the pain I've put you through these past few days. I know your going to say that it wasn't my fault and I was under a spell, but the truth is that I had control of the situation the entire time. But, I chose to allow the evil to control me."

Kira stopped walking and grabbed Kimberly by the arm, "I know you feel guilty Kimberly, but I don't blame you. I've been under a few spells myself; one actually caused me to betray the team. But, I know how it feels to realize that you have caused destruction, and it's not easy. So, I forgive you completely."

Kimberly was truly touched by Kira's forgiveness. She was so young and yet so understanding. Kimberly quickly gave the girl a hug before continuing on their journey.

"You know, I totally get why Tommy chose you," said Kimberly.

Kira smiled in appreciation, "He didn't choose me though, the gem did," she replied in disappointment.

"Yeah, that's what he wanted you to believe," said Kimberly sweetly.

"What do you mean?" asked Kira curiously.

"Oh nothing," replied Kimberly, "just that whether the gem picked you or not Tommy picked you too. Tommy is a very thoughtful man, always has been. He never lets anything be dictated to him, especially when it comes to saving the world. Something tells me that was the case when he asked you to assume the gem's powers."

"Thanks," said Kira blushing. "He really loves you, you know."

Now Kimberly stopped walking and turned to the young woman, "Did he actually say so?"

"Well, not technically," answered Kira hesitantly, "but you don't take on that disgusting Lord Zedd alone unless you truly do love a person."

Kimberly looked at the ground in disappointment. "Big deal, he did that once back in high school."

"You mean back in high school when he first fell in love with you?" questioned Kira.

"Come on," said Kim turning around and continuing on their way.

Kira followed, not making any effort to say anything. She could tell Kimberly was deep in thought, most likely she was thinking about Dr. O. For a split second Kira wished that she could know what it felt like to be in love like they were. Was it everything it was cracked up to be? She cared for Trent deeply but they were so far from love. Kira realized how painful everything must have been for the couple back in high school. It must have been so hard to see each other in the path of danger on a regular basis, not to mention when Kimberly left. Aisha had filled Kira in on the details of Kimberly and Dr. O's breakup back in high school. Kira now wondered if it had been worth it to Kimberly to have hurt Dr. O like she did. According to Aisha everyone said that he had never been the same after he got that letter. How would things have been different today had the couple not split up? Would she herself even be a ranger now?


	37. The Plan

_Here's the next chapter, I have nothing to say about it. Enjoy._

* * *

"Okay Zedd, make your move," ordered Tommy as he and the massive red monster sized each other up.

"Well, as long as I am finally going to rid myself of your annoyance, I might as well enjoy it," replied Zedd throwing his staff to the ground where it made a metallic clank as it hit the rocks.

Tommy made the first move, lunging at Lord Zedd with renewed speed and vibrance. He wanted to end this thing once and for all and he wanted to do it now. Suprisingly, Lord Zedd matched Tommy's speed and agility almost exactly as he blocked every punch, kick, and elbow he could throw.

Meanwhile, Goldar and Jason had already engaged in their ongoing feud long before Lord Zedd and Tommy. Goldar despised Jason more than any other being in existence and Jason felt the same way about him. The dual was heated and the opponents were both on their game. It seemed for every good hit Jason got in, Goldar managed to get in two. Eventually Tommy and Jason ended up back to back and bumping into each other. It startled both of them because they had forgotten that another battled existed besides their own. They nearly took each other out without realizing it, but once they did they used the other to their advantage. Switching places they threw off Lord Zedd and Goldar long enough to take a small breather.

"Where's the girls?" asked Tommy in between pants. As he held his hand to his chest he felt his heart beating so fast that he swore it was going to beat right out of his chest.

"I don't know," managed Jason, who was just as winded, "Last I saw of them was right before the fight. They were behind that tree," Jason pointed at the tree. "But, they're not there now."

"Oh don't worry boys" interrupted Zedd as he once again engaged Tommy in a dual of fists, "you'll see them soon enough."

"What do you mean?" questioned Tommy as he blocked Zedd's fierce kick with his forearm.

"Just trust me Tommy, I've got my best man on it," answered Lord Zedd slyly as he lured Tommy away from Jason and Goldar.

"What does he mean Goldar!" demanded Jason as he pinned the giant beast to a tree and was prepared to seal the deal with a kick to the chops.

"Nothing," replied Goldar in defiance, struggling unsuccessfully to break free.

"Tell me, or it's lights out!" threatened Jason as he reached for Goldar's sword, which had not moved from the ground since their fight began. Jason drew the sword back.

"Okay fine!" erupted Goldar, "Lord Zedd meant for all of this to happen, he knew that Kimberly was alive and he knew that she would eventually escape. He wants Tommy to watch her die!"

Jason froze, his lip quivering, beads of sweat gathering at his brow, "Who did he send after Kimberly?"

Goldar paused, not wanting to call for his master's help but also not wanting to divulge his secret. He stared at the blade of the sword, "Scorpina."

* * *

"You know I've been in these woods dozens of times but I never realized just how creepy they were until now," said Kira trying to break the silence that had been haunting her just as much as the strange noises. She had no idea Dr. O was such a touchy subject for Kimberly.

"Huh," said Kim shaking her head. She had been deep in thought about Tommy. She was so very worried about him and Jason, and of course she'd been blaming herself.

"Nothing, nevermind," said Kira as she quickened her pace. "We better get moving, it seems like we've been going forever. The house has to be close."

Kira couldn't wait to get back to Dr. O's house, it was so cozy and most importantly safe. The first thing she was going to do when she got there was find Trent, latch onto him and never let go, or at least not for a while. She hadn't realized just how lucky she had been all of this time, facing danger on a daily basis. Each time she had come out on top, but would it end that way for Dr.O? She really hadn't grasped what it meant to be a Ranger before, not until now. They just had to be close to Dr. O's, they just had to be.

"Right," said Kimberly in agreement as she scurried to catch up with Kira who really did seem to be creeped out by all of this.

Kimberly had to agree that this place was definitely no picnic but she had seen worse, like when she was stuck in that other dimension with the Bloom of Doom monster. At least she had Kira with her. Speaking of Kira, Kimberly noticed just how far ahead of her Kira had gotten. These woods could definitely be very dangerous, especially due to the fog's low visibility.

"Hey Kira, slow down," she called, cupping her hands to her mouth.

Kira turned briefly, looked at Kimberly, and then froze like an icicle. Her eyes were as wide as a door and her mouth dropped open. All she could do was stare. The second Kimberly saw the look on Kira's face she knew something was wrong. Kimberly took a deep breath preparing to turn around, but before she could she felt a very cold hand rest on her shoulder. Her glance quickly shifted to her shoulder and immediately she knew who it was. The hand tightened its grip on her but she was stunned, she knew full well what was going to happen to her, but she couldn't react. Kimberly closed her eyes and waited to assume her destiny, when suddenly she heard the most ear piercing, high pitched, painful sound she had ever heard. Forgetting about the hand and her fright she raised her hands to her ears and opened her eyes to find the painful pitch's source. It was Kira.

Rushing to Kimberly's side, Kira grabbed Kimberly by the other arm and managed to tug her away from the hideous monster who was still recovering from Kira's defense. Kimberly and Kira took off running, but Kimberly managed to sneak a look back a the perpetrator. Just as she suspected it was Scorpina, but to her surprise Scorpina hadn't assumed the form of the beautiful Asian woman in gold and silver armor like she remembered. Instead she took the form of the beast that she would become whenever Rita made her grow into a fifty-foot monster. She was hideous, with scorpion features like pinchers and tentacles, not to mention her face. The site of Scorpina in that shape had always turned Kimberly's stomach, and it was no different now.

The two girls ran as fast as they could but Kira's scream had royally pissed off Scorpina, only giving her more incentive to catch up with them, and shortly she did. She once again grasped Kimberly's shoulder, while capturing Kira with a tentacle, which wrapped around the young girl, covering her mouth. The trio was at a standstill now, the two girls overcome with fear didn't know what to do.

Kira was definitely freaked out by the disgusting creature. It seemed that every monster she saw today just kept getting uglier and uglier. But this one took the cake, Kira wanted to cry. She stared at Kimberly, wide eyed, unable to speak because of the barricade. Kimberly stared back at Kira and gave her a reassuring look, which actually did help Kira feel better.

Once again Kimberly knew that this whole thing was all her fault and once again she had dragged this poor girl through hell. She probably should have just left her back in the clearing with Tommy and Jason, they had to have been having more success than her, right? Kimberly knew exactly what she had to do, she had to save Kira at all cost.

"What do you need the girl for!" Kimberly demanded as she tried desperately to ignore the giant bug's warm breath as it breathed down her neck.

"I have my orders," replied Scorpina in her deep forceful voice, as she began to slowly wrap another tentacle around Kimberly.

But Kimberly knew that once she had her wrapped up it was over for both her and Kira, so she acted quickly. Kimberly swiftly jerked away from Scorpina's grip as she raised her fist to Scorpina's face and struck her, hard. Scorpina shrunk back in pain but did not relent her grip on Kira.

"You'll pay for that Kimberly!" declared Scorpina.

"Yeah," replied Kimberly taking a karate stance, " and who's going to make me? Certainly not you with all that extra baggage," she gestured towards Kira.

Scorpina charged at Kimberly but Kira was sharp and immediately picked up on Kimberly's plan, so she planted her feet firmly in the ground and refused to move with Scorpina. Scorpina tried to drag Kira along but it was too hard to pull her and try and catch Kimberly.

"Nice try," said the mutant as she lengthened her tentacle and once again reached for Kimberly. But Kimberly was too fast, her years of gymnastics had definitely paid off because after several back handspring she was far out of Scorpina's reach.

"It's either me or her!" she declared. "Lord Zedd wants me so if you showed up with only her I'd hate to think what he would do."

Scorpina thought for a minute, Kimberly did have a point, what did she care about some stupid high schooler anyway?

"Very well then," said Scorpina, "I'll let her go, but only on one condition."

"What's that," questioned Kimberly suspiciously.

"The girl has a special power that does not require her gem to activate, it is a danger to me. I cannot allow her the opportunity to use it against me."

"Fine," said Kimberly cutely, "Kira, you promise you won't use your scream on the lady?"

Kira nodded her head vigorously trying to convey her promise.

"That's cute," cut in Scorpina, "but I'm just not that stupid."

"You sure about that?" asked Kimberly mockingly.

Scorpina starred at Kimberly intensely, picturing all of the ways she was going to torture her if given the opportunity. She never much cared for the Pink Ranger before and it appeared that some things never changed because she was now utterly and completely annoyed with the woman. She knew Lord Zedd was waiting for her and she had wasted enough time, so without warning she rapidly whipped the teenage girl into a tree face first causing Kira to hit her head, hard, knocking her out cold.

As Scorpina released Kira, the girl fell to the floor and Kimberly definitely felt like she was going to hurl now. She didn't have the strength in her to run anymore. Once again another one of her plans had backfired and once again it had been at Kira's expense. Scorpina quickly gathered up Kimberly with two of her tentacles and without any hesitation they were gone, leaving Kira alone and unconscious.

* * *

"I can't see a damn thing!" yelled Conner as he followed the other team.

"Will you just shut up boy!" replied the Yellow Ranger over her shoulder as she followed behind Zack. She'd had just about enough of the young jock's complaining, and now things were serious.

Ethan immediately started laughing, but had he seen the look on Aisha's face without her helmet on he would have thought otherwise.

"Guys, just be quiet," said Katherine in her typical sensitive voice, "this is serious, you can't be fooling around."

"Sorry," said the Blue Ranger and Red Ranger in unison as they lowered their heads in shame.

Both teams had ventured out into the mysterious fog, leaving Haley behind to man the command center, which was pretty much useless at this point since her signal couldn't penetrate the fog either.

After a few minutes of roaming, Trent suddenly made a discovery, "Hey look you guys footprints." He dropped to the ground pointing them out.

They were small, undoubtedly a woman's and judging by the treadmarks they were made by boots, which meant they were Kira's.

"They're Kira's," declared Trent.

"What?" questioned Conner as he shoved past everyone else, eager to see them.

"They're Kira's alright," he confirmed, "but when were they made? They could be from last week."

"Actually," began Ethan "Kira hasn't been out here since before it rained the other night, I think it's safe to say that they're fresh."

Everyone sighed in relief, at least they were on the right track. Following them they made another discovery of another set of footprints, trailing behind Kira. They were much bigger than hers, undoubtedly belonging to a male.

"Whose are they?" questioned Katherine in anticipation.

"Well," began Billy, "they appear to have been made by sneakers, "What kind of shoes were Jason and Tommy wearing?"

"Tommy was wearing hiking boots," replied Katherine immediately.

"And I think Jas was wearing the sneakers," added Zack.

"Then this is good new right?" asked Aisha, "Jason and Kira are together."

"But why aren't they morphed?" questioned Ethan, "There's no way in hell I would have come in without my suit."

"And where's Dr.O," asked Conner, looking around for answers but not finding any because of the fog.

"Let's just keep going," said Billy, rising from the ground and following Trent.

Not long after Trent spotted something through the fog, it was lying on the ground and it appeared to be dirty blonde hair, it was Kira. He immediately rushed to the site, not saying a word to anyone or even acknowledging their presence. He was so close and finally he reached her only to be heartbroken to find Kira alone and unconscious on the forest floor.


	38. I Love You

_Hi friends, let me start out by thanking you all for the reviews, they've been especially rewarding lately. And of course even if you don't review thank you for reading. And, I have some good news and some bad news. I'll start with the bad news, I'm a liar. The good news is that you know how I said there were only like 3 or 4 chapters left, like 3 chapters ago? Well, turns out there's a few more, and that's good right? So, here is the next one, it's short but eventful, enjoy._

* * *

"Kira, Kira, Kira…" said a voice.

Kira could hear someone speaking her name but she just couldn't seem to wake up. She felt someone stroking her hair behind her ear and she could feel the warmth of their body next to her. It was difficult but Kira knew that she had to wake up, she had to find Kimberly. Opening her eyes she was greeted by seven multicolored faces staring down at her. Trent had been the one stroking her hair and speaking her name.

"What happened?" questioned Billy immediately.

"I don't know," began Kira as she rubbed her head and attempted to sit up with Trent's assistance.

She honestly couldn't remember what had happened all she knew was that she had to save Kimberly because Kimberly had saved her. But then it all came back, she remembered their never-ending hike, their chat about Dr. O, and Scorpina. Suddenly tears began to drizzle down Kira's cheeks as she recalled Kimberly's last effort to save her.

"We have to find her," said Kira about ready to go into hysterics, "we have to!"

"Wait, just slow down. Who do we have to find?" cut in Conner as he knelt down next to her on the opposite side of Trent and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.

No one was really used to seeing this tender side of Conner, he was an overly emotional kid but usually compassion was not one of his most visible emotions.

Kira fought hard to compose herself and finally she was ready to talk, "Jason and I found Kimberly back in the clearing with Dr. O. He was getting ready to fight Lord Zedd but his gem wouldn't work. So he and Jason had no choice but to fight Goldar and Zedd," Kira took a breath and then continued. "Kimberly and I hid behind a tree for a little while but Kimberly couldn't stand it, she had to help them. So, we headed back in the direction I had come from. We were trying to find the house so you guys could help Dr. O and Jason but before we could make it back we ran into the most disgusting monster I've ever seen." Kira clenched her eyes shut trying to remember anything she could that might have been helpful. "It was some kind of scorpion lady."

"Scorpina," said Aisha immediately cringing at the sound of the name, she recalled her one and only encounter with the witch and it was not pleasant. Billy and Zack also had a similar reaction but said nothing because they didn't want to delay Kira from spilling the information.

"She had captured me," continued Kira, "but Kimberly sacrificed herself to save me. Scorpina knocked me out and she must have taken Kimberly with her," Kira broke down into sobs and allowed Trent to gather her into his arms.

"It's going to be okay sweetheart," said Katherine sympathetically.

"Which way did she take her?" questioned Billy getting right down to business.

"I don't know," answered Kira, muffled in Trent's chest. She paid no attention to the monstrous purple bruise that now consumed her forehead.

Billy immediately began searching the ground for clues and he didn't have to look far because he spotted to pairs of tracks. The first was two concise footprints and the other was nothing more than a dirt trail, clearly Scorpina was forced to take Kimberly kicking and screaming.

"Okay guys," announced Billy, "this is how things are going to go, Zack, Aisha, and Kat you're coming with me. We're going to fallow the tracks and hopefully they'll lead us to Kimberly. Conner, Ethan, and Trent, you guys take Kira back to the house and have Haley check her over. If she's okay I want the four of you back here and morphed as soon as possible. Something tells me we're going to need every little bit of strength we can get. I also need you guys to bring Tommy's power coin; it's sitting on the counsel in the command center. Got it?"

"Got it," responded Conner immediately as he and Trent helped Kira stand and eventually walk.

"Let's go guys," said Zack as he began to fallow the trail left by Kimberly and Scorpina.

* * *

"Had enough Tommy?" asked Zedd shrewdly as he hovered over Tommy who now lay on his back on the cold wet dirt.

Next to him laid Jason whom Goldar had also just knocked out of command. The two men had no intention of surrendering, but their bodies believed otherwise. Both of them were covered in sizeable bruises, welts, scratches, and scrapes.

"I can't do it, man," admitted Jason as he tried his best to raise himself off the ground.

"Me neither," said Tommy sorely as he rested his head on the ground and closed his eyes.

"Goldar, tie him up!" ordered Zedd pointing to Tommy.

"Yes master," answered Goldar as he made a rope appear with the wave of his hand. "And what about Jason?"

"Well, I suppose it would be fun to pulverize him but I'm so impressed with your performance today that I am giving him to you. Do with him what you want just don't let him escape," said Lord Zedd as he turned around and headed towards the giant boulder across the way.

He was also rather exhausted after messing up Tommy pretty good. He wouldn't let it show but he had been very close to being in Tommy's position. As a last resort he had finally gave in and reached for his staff. Without much thought he quickly zapped Tommy to the ground, where he lay now. Zedd hadn't been proud of the fact that he hadn't been able to take out the best ranger on his own with nothing more than his own strength, but he had to defeat him.

Tommy could feel Goldar drag him across the dirt and mud and then finally pitch him against a tree. But, he couldn't do anything he was just too exhausted and that last blow felt like it had seriously taken seven years off of his life.

Jason also lay there on the dirt, playing dead. Goldar had used nothing but his own mutant strength to battle him and had been somewhat successful. Jason was sure that eventually he could have defeated the gold beast, but once he saw Zedd zap Tommy with his staff he knew it was best to just lay low and join Tommy. Jason watched hesitantly as Goldar began to drag Tommy away, Tommy seemed as lifeless as a rag doll. Once, Jason saw that Goldar was distracted with his duties he raised his head and surveyed the area for Zedd. He spotted him on the bolder across the way and even more perfect, his back was turned towards Jason as he struggled to catch his breath, his pride not allowing him to do it in front of his opponents. Jason quickly and quietly rose from the ground and headed for the brush. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do next but the last thing they needed was for him to end up in the same shape as Tommy, so he hid in the bushes.

Once Goldar finished tying up Tommy he kicked him once in the stomach just for spite. Tommy reacted in pain, yelling out in agony, but the jolt had actually revived him. The pain was just too painful to allow him to doze off but not painful enough to cause him to pass out. Now he was somewhat alert and definitely coherent.

"Nooooo!" screamed Goldar as he turned around and realized that Jason had escaped.

His reaction caused Zedd to turn his attention to the situation, "You spineless, incompetent imbecile!" he cursed as he rose from the boulder. "How could you let him get away? Go find him, now!" he yelled ferociously.

Goldar quickly scurried away just as another henchman arrived, Scorpina. In tote was Kimberly who stumbled clumsily behind her. She had been pretty banged up too, and most definitely regretted her smart-ass comments back in the forest with Kira. Her trip back to the clearing with Scorpina had been a nightmare. Scorpina had done to her just as she had done to Kira in the Reefside High parking lot, but instead of ramming her into cars, she had rammed her into trees, and quite a few of them.

"Excellent," declared Zedd as he greeted Scorpina excitedly, "At least someone knows how to fallow orders."

"Of course my lord," said Scorpina bowing to Lord Zedd. "Where do you want her?"

"Anywhere's fine," replied Zedd, "actually why don't you tie her to that tree across from the heroic Dr. Oliver. I want him to have the best seat in the house. Ha, ha,ha…"

The second Tommy saw Kimberly enter the clearing, staggering behind Scorpina he felt this renewed strength within his bones. He wasn't sure if it was enough, but at least he had the feeling back in his legs. Now, he watched painfully as the hideous monster tossed Kimberly around like garbage and then mercilessly tied her to the tree across from him on the other end of the clearing. She had been in bad shape before, but nothing compared to now. Her legs were covered in scratches and her feet were as black as the dirt. Her once pretty pink silk dress was now snagged and ripped beyond recognition, but he could tell that her spirit was not broken. She held her head high as Scorpina tied her up and she continued to struggle in resistance.

Once Kimberly was securely fastened Scorpina stepped away to join Lord Zedd and receive more instruction. This allowed Tommy and Kimberly a few moments. But, neither of them spoke, they didn't want Zedd and Scorpina to be a part of what could be their last moments together, so they had to say all they needed to say silently.

"I'm sorry," mouthed Kimberly slowly to Tommy. The look on her face was so sincere that there was no doubt in Tommy's mind that she genuinely meant it.

Tommy returned Kimberly's apology with a sweet smile that brought tears to her eyes. He didn't blame her for any of this and right now she understood that. As crappy as the whole situation was she did at least feel good about that. Life could have been so sweet for them if only she hadn't have ruined it. But it was too late now, so Kimberly had to do what she could now. She never thought she would see the day when Tommy Oliver was defeated, not in a million years. Unfortunately though, it was looking like today would be the day. She stared at her white night dreamily remembering their past and hoping for their future. He was still as handsome as ever in spite of the bruises and scrapes. His eyes still had that beautiful twinkle in them that had originally attracted her to him that one day back at the youth center. That day was so long ago, they had come so far. How could it be that it was meant to end like this?

The pair continued to exchange glances, engaged in a conversation that only they could understand. It was too late for plans and schemes but neither of them was so sure that they were going to give up so quickly. However, there were too many things beyond their control and as Zedd's tone became lower they were sure that their time together was almost up.

Scorpina and Lord Zedd began to walk towards them, confident in their stride and merciless in their gaze. Tommy and Kimberly knew their time was up, so in one last effort for a goodbye Tommy caught Kimberly's attention and mouthed to her the words she had been longing to hear for so long, "I love you." She was overjoyed and sobbing uncontrollably. Of course as luck would have it she finally had him, only to lose him without ever being able to enjoy his companionship. All she could do now was mouth the words back to him.

When Tommy read the words "I love you," on Kimberly's lips he thought he felt his heart tear in half. Never in his life had he ever been so happy or disappointed and of course it was at the same time. Right now he didn't care how things were going to end because at least he knew, if only for a few moments, that Kimberly Hart loved him too.


	39. Too Bad Love Doesn't Last Forever

Hi all! Your last reviews made me so happy that I thought I'd give you all another heartwrentching chapter to hold you over. I hope you like this one because I really liked writing it. As always, a thousand thank yous!

* * *

"Okay Kira, good as new," said Haley cheerfully as she secured the small peach band-aid across Kira's forehead. "Well, as good as new as your going to get right now."

Kira smiled at the woman sheepishly, it seemed lately that every time she was with Haley it was only to get bandaged up or scanned for injuries. But luckily the diagnosis was good, there was no sign of a concussion and besides the small cut and big bruise on her forehead, which she had no idea how she was going to explain to her parents, things were looking up.

"Okay, let's go," said Trent as he lowered his helmet down over his head.

"Oh, don't forget Dr. O's coin," reminded Kira as she fastened her dino gem bracelet on her wrist, Trent had saved it for her.

"I got the coin," responded Conner, examining the gold disk as if it were a rare and precious stone.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Ethan, who was halfway out the command center's door. Everyone turned and stared at Kira.

"Oh yeah," she said standing up, "Dino thunder power up, ha!"

The four Dino Rangers had been running through the forest for just a few minutes and were very focused on the trail left for them by the other Rangers. Kira was delighted to be back in uniform and everyone else was glad to have her with them too.

"Wait!" yelled Ethan who was at the end of the line.

Everyone stopped running and joined him next to a dead tree. Ethan bent down to the ground and picked up the object, which had attracted his attention.

"What is it?" asked Trent curiously as he tried to poke his head into the circle of helmets surrounding Ethan's find.

"It's Jason's morpher," answered Conner in awe.

"Well, it's not like it's of any use in here," added Kira, "but I'm sure Jason is probably missing it by now. Let's go."

Ethan was nice enough to allow Conner to hold the silver gadget because he noticed how captivated by it Conner was. Soon, everyone was following Kira's lead.

"Hey," said Conner curiously, "why do you guys suppose Billy wanted us to bring the white power coin?"

"I don't know," yelled Kira behind her, "it's not like he can morph in the fog. And even if he could it's not like it matters because he has the black dino gem."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and find out," finished Trent, somewhat annoyed that their focus had been broken by Conner's useless question.

"Um, we might have to wait a little longer than we thought," said Ethan slowly as his jog turned into a dead stop.

Everyone stopped with him confused at first, but they quickly caught his drift. Standing in front of them was an army of gray men with red eyes and Zs on their chests. They definitely were not a pretty picture, but Kira had seen worse.

"What are they?" she asked in confusion.

"Beats the hell out of me," answered Conner stepping up to the plate, "let's drop 'em guys!"

Immediately the Rangers jumped into action, fighting the creatures, which were surprisingly just as difficult to battle as the tyranodrones.

"It's like nothing phases them!" commented Ethan, who had just kicked a putty down but was very disappointed to see that he got right back up.

"Just keep going guys!" ordered Trent, "They have to wear out eventually!"

* * *

"Now what?" asked Katherine in annoyance and disappointment as the trail they had successfully followed up to this point had pretty much vanished.

"I don't know," answered Billy, "what do you suppose happened to the trail?"

"Maybe we just got mixed up and started following the wrong one," said Zack optimistically, "We should just turn around and I'm sure we'll see where we went wrong in no time."

"I sure hope so," whined Aisha, " we really don't have time for mess ups."

"You can say that again," added Katherine, turning around to retrace their steps. "Just hang on Tommy," she said to herself quietly.

The Rangers had been running for what felt like forever, but Billy had attributed it to the fog. It seemed to have very mysterious ways and in all reality had they actually been running for as long and as hard as they'd felt then they would have reached the other end of the forest by now. It was like a never-ending maze and Billy hoped that if nothing else, then at least the trail had been accurate. But, judging by their dead end it was entirely possible that they'd been running in circles.

"I hope this little detour doesn't confuse the kids," commented Aisha as the Rangers finally discovered where they'd taken a wrong turn.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," answered an unfamiliar voice. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, eager to continue their journey, not yet recognizing the intrusion.

"Uh guys," said Katherine questioningly, "who just said that?"

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, processing just what Katherine was getting at. They all turned around and immediately spotted the source of the voice.

"Oh man," said Zack taking a fighting stance, "will someone please just give us a break!"

"Not very likely, Black Ranger," said the monster. It was Scorpina and she was not alone, accompanying her was an army of tengas.

"We don't have time for this," announced Aisha, "so why don't you just tell us where Kim is and then kick your own asses!"

"It doesn't work that way, Yellow Ranger," responded Scorpina with a hateful smile, "Tengas attack!"

* * *

"Come out, come out where ever you are," said Goldar hatefully as he searched the perimeter of the clearing for Jason.

Jason sat crouched behind a bush still trying to catch his breath. He knew his cover wouldn't hold out forever and he also knew that Tommy and Kimberly were about to meet their doom. He had been watching the events as they unfolded; it was particularly upsetting when Kimberly entered the picture because she looked so beaten and worn. But, Jason knew that making his presence known would only agitate Zedd and cause himself to end up tied to a tree as well. He had to lure Goldar away from the site, divide and conquer. So Jason began working his way away from the clearing, and Goldar was hot on his trail.

* * *

As Lord Zedd and Scorpina approached Tommy and Kimberly, Scorpina disappeared into thin air. Tommy and Kimberly both knew that she was on her way to distract the other Rangers, no doubt. But, things could still work out for them because now all they had to contend with was Zedd and both of them had been renewed with energy from each other's confession of love.

Lord Zedd first approached Tommy confidently and merciless. He stood so close to Tommy that he could feel Zedd's warm breath. This of course was meant to intimidate him but Lord Zedd could no longer scare Tommy. Looking strait into Tommy's eyes Lord Zedd spoke,

"Well I hope you said your good-byes Dr. Oliver, because you will never see your precious Kimmy again. Ha, ha, ha…"

Tommy stared at Lord Zedd in disgust, but made no effort to struggle or appear agitated in any way. But with every chuckle, the fire in Tommy grew bigger and bigger.

"Please! Don't hurt him!" yelled Kimberly from across the clearing. Tears still dropped from her eyes but they were no longer tears of joy, they were tears of fear.

Lord Zedd's laughter ceased at Kimberly's plead, he turned around and glared at her, "Oh don't worry my dear, no harm will come to your sweetheart," he paused, "It's you who will die!"

"No!" Tommy immediately began to struggle, he wanted nothing more than to pound Lord Zedd into oblivion. But, struggling was useless; it only made Zedd's laughter grow in intensity as he taunted Tommy. Tommy was beginning to realize that there was nothing he could do to stop Zedd in the position he was in. Right now, about the only thing he could do was delay Zedd from approaching Kimberly. He had to keep him there with him.

"Wrong Zedd," declared Tommy, interrupting Zedd's glory, "it's you who will die."

"And just who's going to stop me!" yelled Zedd, his face only inches from Tommy's. "It certainly won't be the other Rangers, they're all a little preoccupied right now. If you catch my drift."

"What have you done to them Zedd!" demanded Tommy as he inched his face closer to Zedd's, showing no sign of weakness.

"Nothing yet," replied Lord Zedd, "I'll worry about them later. But for right now it's payday for Kimberly. It's time I paid her what I owe her for a mission poorly done. And it's time I paid you back for all of the grief and distress you have put me through."

Lord Zedd turned away from Tommy and headed in Kimberly's direction. He took a small detour to obtain his staff but soon returned on his path.

"Get back here Zedd, you coward!" yelled Tommy frantically. This couldn't be happening, he couldn't lose Kimberly. "Why don't you fight me like a real man instead of using and innocent girl to take revenge!"

"Innocent girl!" snapped Zedd, "Innocent girl! There is nothing innocent about this woman! She has lied, cheated, played, and destroyed ever since she gave up her power coin! Have you forgotten Tommy? Do you remember the pain and anguish you felt when she selfishly broke your heart, not even having the respect to tell you to your face that you weren't good enough for her?"

Zedd's words hit Tommy hard. He knew that they weren't true and he now knew the real reason why Kimberly had sent that letter. But, he still couldn't help but wonder if Zedd was right. Did Kimberly leave him because he wasn't good enough for her? If that had been the case then Zedd could just take him now. He couldn't handle her rejection again.

Kimberly watched, horrified, as Lord Zedd approached her. Her vision was blurred from the tears, but that was for the best because she didn't need to see Zedd's anger and she certainly didn't need to see the look on Tommy's face now. She was literally shaking from her head down to her toes, but Lord Zedd was not her biggest fear. Her biggest fear was that Tommy would doubt her and she would have to leave him, with him never knowing just how much she truly loved him.

"Tommy, don't listen to him!" she yelled, "He's wrong Tommy, you know why I sent that letter!"

Tommy starred at her; his eyes appeared empty and confused. Had she lost him?

"Tommy," she continued, "Tommy, the truth is that I wasn't good enough for you! You were always so good to me and I didn't deserve you!" Kimberly began to sob so hard that she couldn't finish her thought. Her shoulders jerked uncontrollably and her pulses were so fast she couldn't even catch her breath.

Tommy closed his eyes, he needed to figure things out and fast. But he couldn't do it while looking into Kimberly's beautiful hazel eyes. They were sad and pleading with him. He needed to know for sure if Kimberly loved him, he couldn't lose her without never really knowing.

Lord Zedd finally reached Kimberly and stared her directly in the eyes, just as he had done to Tommy.

"Give it up Kimberly, he doesn't want you anymore."

"No, no, no, please," she pleaded, "Stop it! He does love me, he said so!"

"Oh really?" questioned Lord Zedd sarcastically, "Then perhaps he'd like to say it again! Tommy," he called, "Why don't you tell Kimberly exactly how you feel about her. Tell her exactly how she makes you feel when you look into her eyes and you see the girl that didn't want you. Tell her how she makes you feel whenever you're at the park or even at work and you see a happy little couple that reminds you of how things used to be. And tell her how she makes you feel whenever you see a cute girl that you would just love to wine and dine but can't get up the courage to ask out because of Kimberly's rejection! Tell her Tommy! Tell her!"

Tears now fell from Tommy's eyes. How could it be that it was Lord Zedd who would reveal the truth to him? How could it be that all this time the answer had been right in front of his face? He didn't need Kimberly to tell him how she felt about him, because he had known all along.

"Okay, Zedd," answered Tommy angrily as he raised his head and stared at the two, "I'll tell Kimberly how I feel. I'll tell her how she makes me feel every time I look into her eyes and I see the girl that sent me that painful letter that changed my life forever. I'll tell her how she makes me feel whenever I see another couple, a daily reminder of how things used to be. And I'll tell her how she makes me feel every time I see another woman who I think could possibly be the one, but I can't bring myself to ask out."

Kimberly held her breath; her eyes were as wide as a deer's in front of headlights, waiting to hear Tommy's response. And finally he continued,

"She makes me feel like I could be a better man. She makes me feel like I could do anything, go anywhere, and achieve anything if I just had her love. Whenever I look into her eyes and I'm reminded of that letter, it makes me realize just how much I need her. Every time I see another happy couple it makes me smile because I remember the smile on her face and the laughter in her voice that made me fall in love with her. And every time I see another woman that sparks my interest I can't bring myself to ask her out because I know that Kimberly is the only one who is meant for me!" Tommy paused and stared directly at Kimberly, who still hadn't let herself breathe. "So there you have it Zedd, I love Kimberly Hart. I always have and you better believe that I always will!"

Kimberly erupted into tears once again; laughter escaping her mouth as joy filled her heart. "I love you too, Tommy Oliver!" she shouted to him. For a brief moment the two forgot that Lord Zedd was even there.

But Tommy's response only infuriated Lord Zedd even more. He couldn't stand the fact that they were in love and that while all of this time he had thought they were so miserable they had actually had everything they ever wanted. It would end here, if he couldn't be happy then neither could they. Raising his staff high Lord Zedd pointed it directly at Kimberly and said,

"Love is such a wonderful thing, too bad it can't last forever."


	40. Hiyah!

_Hey all, once again you guys didn't let me down with the reiviews. They were great! Thank you everyone! I apologize this chapter took so long but it's been a crazy hectic week. I hope you like it. And one more thing, if any of you are looking for another fic to sink your teeth into then I STRONGLY recommend "Conflicts of Interest," by Grey17. The writing is amazing and the storyis pretty damn good too. But you must be 17 or older because it's rated R. I know I've mentioned this one before but it really is worth your time._

* * *

"What's going on? These tengas just won't go down!" yelled Aisha to anyone that could hear her. She was in the middle of an intense battle with two relentless tengas and a third one had just entered the picture. 

"Aisha's right," declared Zack in response as he was brought to the ground by a double kick from two of the oversized birds. "I don't know how much longer I can hold out!"

"Me either," added Katherine who was now pinned to a tree by two tengas. She had no free arms, just her legs. "I don't remember them being so strong!" She finally gathered enough strength to overextend her leg up and over her shoulder knocking the tenga in the face, releasing her left arm.

"I don't know," replied Billy, "it looks like you've got things pretty well under control!" He was referring to Kat's last maneuver. But, Billy on the other hand wasn't having quite as good of luck. For some reason he had become Scorpina's main target. Was it possible that Zedd had been keeping tabs on them and knew that Billy had taken the lead of the team?

The Rangers had been in battle for quite some time and with every passing moment were becoming more and more concerned.

"Shouldn't the kids have been here already?" questioned Katherine as she removed her blade blaster from it's holster and began blasting the tengas with a red beam. The only problem was that every time she knocked one down another one would appear.

"Yeah, they should have!" confirmed Zack as he too pulled out his blade blaster and began firing.

"I hope they didn't run into any unexpected visitors!" added Aisha as she did a back handspring causing two tengas to collide. She too utilized her blade blaster.

"Well then it's too bad that they did run into some unexpected visitors!" interrupted Scorpina as she captured Billy in an impressive headlock. But he too took the queue from the other rangers and blasted Scorpina in the foot at a very close range causing her to release him.

Grouping together with their backs turned towards each other the Rangers knew that they couldn't keep this up forever.

"What do we do Billy?" questioned Katherine as she shot at Scorpina swiftly.

"Well, it sounds like there's not going to be any relief coming our way any time soon. I say we run," responded Billy.

"Run where?" asked Aisha puzzled, but still on guard.

"Why not follow the path," suggested Zack, " at least then maybe we can regroup with Tommy and Jason."

"You got my vote!" confirmed Aisha.

"Okay guys, on the count of three," declared Billy. "One, two, three!"

All four Rangers took of running on the path's course. Their main concern was keeping enough space between themselves and Scorpina and the tengas, so they still had to continue firing. Zack was in charge of leading everyone on the right path while everyone else concentrated on tenga control.

* * *

"What the hell!" shouted Conner in annoyance at the putty that had been on him like ants on sugar for the past few minutes. It seemed like no matter how many times he pounded on the putty it just wouldn't quit. 

"Calm down," shouted Kira back, "they can't last forever!"

"Yeah well neither can we!" replied Ethan as he too struggled to keep the upper hand or at least an equal hand.

"Come on guys, don't give up!" encouraged Trent who was using his saber quite successfully.

The battle raged on for quite sometime, but finally the four teenagers found themselves in a pile on the forest floor.

"Get off me!" yelled Conner at Ethan who had just been tossed on top of him.

"Oh a thousand apologies Conner, because I landed on you on purpose and all!" yelled Ethan back sarcastically.

"Guys!" screamed Kira, breaking up their fight. "We don't have time for the power trips. Everyone stand up."

Eventually everyone followed Kira's orders and Trent was relieved by her initiative because he knew that had he gotten involved it only would have ended up in a three-way fight.

"Kira's right guys," said Trent, "we have to work together."

"Together at what!" snapped Ethan, "We're surrounded by ugly gray mutants that keep making that incredibly annoying sound, and I don't see us gaining the lead anytime soon!"

"For once, I totally agree with Ethan," agreed Conner, who was at his wit's end.

"I say we run," suggested Kira.

"Run where?" asked Conner "we can't see a thing in this fog, dammit!"

"We'll just keep following the trail," continued Kira, "we'll eventually meet up with the other Rangers. I'm sure they know how to beat these guys."

"I'm with Kira," replied Trent.

"Of course you are," mumbled Conner under his breath. He couldn't stand the way that Trent was always fawning over Kira.

"What was that?" questioned Trent immediately. He knew that Conner had feelings for Kira and he hated to admit it but he was beginning to become a little threatened by them.

"I said of course we are," Conner paused for a second to think, "uh, too."

"Well then let's kick it!" yelled Ethan not wanting to hear the dispute.

Everyone followed Ethan's lead and charged through a wall of putties leaving them no choice but to let the colorful pack through. Finally the Rangers were free; Kira was leading, following the path left by her friends exactly. The guys held up the rear doing what ever was necessary to keep the putties at a safe distance.

* * *

"Stop wasting my time Goldar!" yelled Jason as he punched and kicked at the monster as fiercely as he ever had. 

Goldar had discovered Jason behind a bush that had served well as a protective shelter for a while. But even the fog was no help because Goldar was more determined than he had ever been to find the Red Ranger and destroy him once and for all.

"Wasting your time?" questioned Goldar. "You should be thanking me for the extra time I've allowed you to be on this puny planet!"

"Oh yeah," shot back Jason, "if it's so puny then why's it so hard for you to conquer it?"

He had Goldar on that one and Goldar had never been real swift. The monster paused for a second to come up with an answer, allowing Jason to take control of the situation and snatch away Goldar's sword. But Goldar wouldn't tolerate it; he immediately struck Jason hard with a blow to the chest, sending Jason up in the air only to be halted by the incredibly hard tree. Jason slid down the bark and landed hard on the moist soil. He was once again hidden beneath the fog.

* * *

"Zeddy!" yelled the high pitched squeal of Rita Repulsa as she appeared out of thin air in the clearing. 

Her ear piercing shrill caused Lord Zedd to flinch resulting in the deadly beam that was meant for Kimberly to miss her and hit a tree behind her. Zedd yelled in dissatisfaction.

"What's wrong with you woman!" he screamed animatedly at his wife.

Kimberly and Tommy simultaneously let out the breath they had been holding in ever since the moment that Zedd raised his staff to Kimberly. They gave each other a relieved glance before drawing their attention back to the quarreling couple.

"What's wrong with me!" snapped Rita as she walked swiftly towards her husband. "You were going to kill that annoying powerless priss without me! How could you!"

Zedd realized his mistake, more importantly he realized the hell that Rita would put him through the next few days if he didn't apologize.

"Oh my pet," he began trying to let go of his anger, "please forgive me. I'm afraid I did get ahead of myself. What was I thinking?"

"Hmm," snapped Rita, "that's more like it. Now where were you?"

Tommy and Kimberly immediately locked eyes, up until now they had been so relieved that Kimberly's annihilation had been postponed that they forgot that it was going to happen eventually.

"Help me," pleaded Kimberly to Tommy silently.

Tommy made out the words on her lips and realized that never before had he failed her when she asked him for help. But, unfortunately it was looking like there was in fact a first time for everything. But Tommy didn't want to believe it and just like before he began to violently struggle with the rope which binded him to the tree. After a few seconds he realized it was helpless. Turning his head to the left he froze and listened for a moment. When his gaze returned to Kimberly he quickly reassured her by mouthing "It's going to be okay."

Kimberly gave him a 'how do you know look.'

"Trust me," mouthed Tommy back to her with a smile.

Kimberly smiled back at him, though not very confident in his claims. What did he mean it's going to be okay'? How in the hell can things be okay when they were both helpless?

"Well Kimmy," began Rita stepping in front of the former Pink Ranger and blocking out her view of Tommy. "I've been looking forward to this moment since the minute Zordon selected you to be his Pink Ranger. I have to say victory is sweet, ha, ha, ha…"

Kimberly turned her head away from Rita. She definitely didn't want Rita to be the last face she ever saw. Instead she peered behind the witch and noticed that Tommy had come back into view. The only problem was that he was not paying attention to the situation at all. Had he lost interest already? Kimberly had always thought that Tommy's wandering habits were cute but right now was just not the time. She scowled at him angrily, but he didn't even see her do that. 'Fine,' she thought, 'I might as well just be put out of my misery now then.'

Rita's laughter was becoming louder and even more annoying as Lord Zedd cut in.

"Oh just shut up." ordered Kimberly hatefully to Rita.

Everyone, including Tommy became silent and directed their attention at Kimberly.

"What did you just say to my wife?" questioned Zedd, trying to control his anger.

"You heard me," said Kimberly flatly, "I told her to shut her ugly face."

"Hey…" began Rita raising her hand to Kimberly and taking a few steps closer, "you really shouldn't have said that."

"And what are you going to do about it huh?" questioned Kimberly in a smart-ass tone. "What are you going to kill me? Because it's not like that wasn't going to happen before. Face it Rita, there is nothing you can do or say that is going to give you any power over me now."

Rita began to shake with anger and hostility, Kimberly was right, no matter what she or Zedd did to her there was nothing she could do to control the woman.

"That's it!" declared Rita lowering her hand. Not even slapping Kimberly across the face would satisfy her now. "Finish her Zedd!"

"Gladly my dear," replied Zedd as he backed away from Kimberly and then raised his staff towards her.

As the silver pole began to become consumed with flashes of lights and small bolts of lightning Kimberly realized her mistake and quickly glanced at Tommy for one final look. Like before he wasn't paying one hint of attention to her.

"Say goodbye, Kimberly," said Zedd one last time as he drew his arm back.

Kimberly closed her eyes tightly, and held her breath waiting for the blast to finish her, but it never came. Instead she heard a distinctive and familiar "Hiyah!"

* * *

Jason sat on the dirt motionless for just a second while he processed what had just happened. Goldar had just launched him right into a tree and it did not feel good. Looking around him all he could see was the fog and some shrubs straying from the bushes. As he attempted to move he felt something slithering against the back of his head and immediately thought it to be a snack. He rapidly lunged away from the tree, landing on his hands and knees, still holding on to Goldar's sword. As he turned around he realized that it hadn't been a snake at all that had alarmed him, instead it was a rope, and it was moving. Suddenly it clicked to Jason that he had been leaning on the exact same tree as Tommy. Smiling, Jason quickly maneuvered his way back to the tree and was able to peek around the trunk where he saw Tommy's hiking boots attempting to struggle. Jason was careful not to let his head peek out of the fog because Goldar was undoubtedly searching for him. So he rose as high as he could and called out to Tommy. 

"Tommy," he whispered, but no response. "Tommy!" he said a little louder afraid that he may have blown his cover to Goldar. But still no answer. Finally, he called to Tommy again but this time he tugged slightly on the rope while he did it. This finally got Tommy's attention and he looked down at him with no reaction in his face. Jason understood that Tommy didn't want to blow his cover so he made it quick.

"I have Goldar's sword, when you give the signal I'm going to cut you loose, but there's no room for error so you better be prepared for this one, bro."

Tommy appeared to have no reaction to Jason's plan but knowing Tommy, Jason knew that Tommy understood. So he remained crouched and waited for a few moments. During that time he noticed that Tommy appeared to be centering himself through meditation. His eyes were focused on the fog below him and it seemed like nothing could ever infiltrate his concentration. Most likely he was playing out different scenarios in his head in preparation for the battle ahead. Soon Jason heard Kimberly's little outburst and couldn't help but chuckle silently when she told Rita to 'shut her ugly face.' He even noticed that Tommy's attention had been broken. But then, when things began to become even more tense and serious he was beginning to wonder if Tommy had any intention of acting upon the situation. Jason could hear Lord Zedd say goodbye and just as he was about to rise and take care of things on his own he heard his best friends signal.

"Hiyah!"

With that Jason rose strongly to his feet and with all of his might he swung the heavy gold sword as fast as he could and easily split the ropes in two. Tommy was free and Jason's cover had been blown.


	41. She Loved You More Than Her Own Life

_Alright everyone, I can't even begin to say how sorry I am that this update took so long. I promise I've been really busy but the story was always in the back of my mind. Another reason why this chapter took so long is because it is the final chapter aside from the conclusion. You have all been sooo good to me with your reviews and don't think they went unnoticed. I'm extremely lucky to have such amazing and supportive readers and I truly want to say thank you. So this one is a long one and everyone must promise that they will see this thing to the end and read the the conclusion, which will end the story. _

When Kimberly opened her eyes chaos erupted around her. Tommy had already made his way to Lord Zedd and had successfully deterred him away from her. Behind their battle, raged on another one between Goldar and Jason. But, it was good news because Jason had possession of the gold sword and Goldar was pretty much useless against him.

Rita on the other hand was in no mood to give up on Kimberly's destruction. With a snap her staff appeared in her left hand and the expression on her face was one of determination. Kimberly watched as Rita approached her and prayed silently for someone, anyone to set her free from the ropes which binded her to the tree. Rita had always appeared to be psychotic but for some reason today she appeared to be even more unstable than ever. Kimberly had never really been afraid of Rita personally, just of her magic. However, things had a funny way of changing lately.

"Time's up Kimmy!" screamed Rita with a screech of unparalleled terror. She rose her staff in the air and quickened her pace significantly. The only hope Kimberly had now was the small chance that the wicked witch would trip over that hideously ugly thing she called a dress.

Kimberly looked to Tommy and screamed for help, but he was no better off than she was because Lord Zedd had the advantage, his staff. Next, she looked to Jason and pleaded for his assistance excitedly, and she at least received a response. But, he was too preoccupied trying to knock Goldar off of his feet to make it over to her in time.

"Hold on Kim!"

Didn't Jason know that she didn't have time to hold on? Kimberly understood he was busy, but she needed him, and now. Kimberly braced herself, planting her feet firmly in the soil below her and clenched her eyes shut. Prepared for the worst she awaited her destiny. It came in the form of a horizontal stroke of lightning, which zapped the rope so fast that she never even felt it loosen. Kimberly immediately ducked down, causing Rita's ray to miss her by mere centimeters, but the tree was fried. Following the smoke's path Kimberly realized who had saved her. It was Tommy, and while wrestling with Zedd for possession of the silver staff he had somehow managed to redirect the beam towards the tree, and lucky for Kimberly his aim was impeccable.

Tommy had a difficult time in his struggle against Lord Zedd. There was no doubt that he was a very worthy opponent, possibly the worthiest opponent that Tommy had ever battled, but Tommy would never actually admit it. He had been bruised and battered beyond belief by the monster and yet he was so far from giving up. The moment Tommy set Kimberly free from the constraints of the rope Lord Zedd faltered and let his guard down in frustration. This opened up the perfect opportunity for Tommy to tighten his grip on the elusive staff and separate it from its owner with one powerful jerk. Lord Zedd recovered huffing and puffing and then starred at his archenemy in utter disbelief.

Inspired by Jason and Tommy's triumphs, Kimberly immediately charged at Rita, feeling pretty optimistic that she and the guys were finally in charge. It didn't take much for her to free Rita's staff from her tight clutches, just a few punches and even a kick here and there. Kimberly was surprised at what a pathetic fight Rita put up, especially considering how feisty she had always been. But now, finally, Rita cowered before her like a scolded puppy.

Regrouping, Tommy, Jason, and Kimberly formed a line. Each one of them possessing a power source from the enemy. Lord Zedd, Goldar, and Rita paralleled their line, and were still bent on bringing destruction to the three heroes. The evil bunch knew that they had allowed their egos to get the best of them and had it not been for their big headedness the tables would have been turned. In spite of this Lord Zedd knew that his doom was not yet meant to be.

"I must applaud you rangers," began Lord Zedd, "I never thought I'd see the day when you losers would have us in the palms of your hands."

"Well, you have to admit it was long overdue," replied Tommy confidently as he admired the shine of the staff in his right hand.

"That may be," snapped Rita, "but you haven't seen the last of us!" She was pouting like a baby.

"Oh no?" questioned Jason, "I think you're wrong." Jason locked eyes with Tommy and smirked.

"Uh-oh," interrupted Goldar as he began to slowly back away from the humans. He was prepared to desert his master in a second.

"Not so fast Goldar!" shouted Kimberly as she pointed Rita's staff at the goon. "Let's finish 'em guys!"

"You got it!" confirmed Tommy; he raised the giant Z high into the air, signaling the other two to fallow his lead. The three heroes aimed and fired.

* * *

As Billy, Zack, Aisha, and Katherine approached the clearing they were feeling rather exhausted and unsure of their fate. They had managed to hold off the tengas and Scorpina quite successfully with their blade blasters, but if they didn't find relief soon then the battle would very easily shift out of their favor. They were physically drained and several of them had already stumbled over their own feet more than once. But, just as they were sure all hope was lost, things took a turn for the better.

"Hey look," declared Zack, "the fog is dissipating!"

"He's right," huffed Katherine as cheerfully as she could manage, "I can see the clearing."

"And look, there are the Dino Rangers!" added Aisha in relief.

* * *

The teens across the way appeared to be just as tired and distressed as the other team, but like their seniors they weren't finished yet.

"Look you guys!" declared Kira in elation. "There they are!" she pointed at the multi-colored figures through the trees.

"Snap!" cheered Ethan in relief.

"Come on guys, let's move it," ordered Conner as he immediately took lead of the Rangers.

But, Trent was not distracted by the news; he never once faltered from his duties of holding the putties off.

The two teams finally joined up in the clearing, each one complete with excess baggage. They greeted each other briefly with sighs of relief and cheer. But, everyone quickly forgot about the creatures that pursued them once they realized the events which were unfolding on the other side of the clearing. Tommy, Kimberly, and Jason had just blasted Lord Zedd, Rita and Goldar with their very own weapons. The reaction caused a gigantic explosion, which surely could have been seen and heard from miles away. The Rangers could even feel the heat radiating through their suites. The blast sent Tommy, Jason, and Kimberly to the ground, and remarkably it even alleviated the fog.

Jason lay on the dark, moist soil, covered in dust and debris and felt completely exhausted, but that didn't stop the smirk from spreading across his face. On the other end of the clearing the Rangers watched in amazement as one by one the putties, tengas, and even Scorpina disappeared into thin air. Kimberly quickly sat up, ignoring the aches, which consumed her body. Immediately she began searching frantically for Tommy to make sure that he was okay. He had landed nearly thirty yards away from her but she was relieved to find him sitting up, and he appeared to be quite alert as he searched for her too. Once the couple locked eyes, smiles engulfed their faces. It was finally over; all of the uneasiness of never knowing if today would be the day that the dreaded Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa would return. Everyone could finally have peace and happiness.

Kimberly and Tommy simultaneously stood up and rushed into each other's arms, while everyone else looked on in satisfaction. As the couple embraced tightly, Kimberly felt an indescribable feeling of relief wash over her. Zedd and Rita were finally gone and now she was free to love Tommy and to be loved by him in return. The two separated briefly and gazed into each other's eyes. Not speaking a word Tommy took Kimberly's face in his black and dirty hands. He gently wiped a single tear from under her eye, and in its place he left a thick black streak of dirt. But, she didn't care about the dirt, she was just happy to be with him. Tommy raised Kimberly's face to his, preparing to give her the most sensual, earth shattering, heartfelt kiss, but his lips never reached hers.

Kimberly was mortified as Tommy fell limply into her tired arms; tiny bolts of lightning surged throughout him. He never even felt the blast because if he had he surely would have called out in agony, but he didn't make a peep. His body weight quickly grew much too heavy for Kimberly to support any longer and she was forced to ease herself to the ground with him. It was like a bad dream, a horrible scenario, but it was true. She could hear the frantic screams of her friends behind her and she could feel the cold wind pick up around her. It whistled in satisfaction and the chill pierced her skin with vengeance. Soon everything began to grow dark and for a moment Kimberly wondered if it was really dark outside or if it was just in her mind. Her world had gone dark; the flame inside of her had burnt out the moment her one true love fell helplessly into her arms.

Cradling Tommy to her chest, Kimberly buried her face between his neck and his shoulder, just as he had done to her before. Her cheek rubbed harshly against the stubble that coated his chin. It felt like sandpaper against her soft skin but the scratches couldn't keep Kimberly away. For a moment she couldn't understand how it was possible that he was gone and yet she could still feel him, touch him, smell him…She could hear and sense the commotion around her but she was too afraid to look up and accept Tommy's fate…her fate. Kimberly longed for that last kiss. Why had she been so naive? Why couldn't he be holding her now? She just wanted to be alone with him forever.

The fact of the matter was that Tommy lay lifeless in her arms and there was nothing more that she could do about it. The only defense she had to stay sane was to deny the truth. She kept telling herself that he was okay and she kept swearing to herself that she could feel his heart beating against hers, but it just wasn't so. She had lost what she had looked so hard to find and she had never even had a chance keep it, not even for a little while.

Time passed, Kimberly had no idea how much, but eventually she was forced into reality as she heard the wicked and hateful sound of Lord Zedd's voice once again. Pulling herself away from Tommy, Kimberly opened her eyes and accepted what couldn't be changed.

Standing before her was Lord Zedd, only he wasn't just Lord Zedd. Somehow the blast had supercharged him, causing him to grow nearly ten feet tall. His muscles swelled beyond recognition and the silver, which had originally adorned him, had somehow been transformed into gold. He had always been frightening and intimidating, but nothing compared to the being he had morphed into now.

To his left was Rita, her once puke brown dress now appeared ebony velvet. Her headdress, although massive before, was now more elaborate than anyone could ever imagine. Rita too was adorned with gold and onyx and her face was even uglier than ever; it was much more sinister.

To Lord Zedd's right stood Goldar, who had also grown in size, matching his master's height. Goldar's sheen was blindingly shinny and his armor was now encrusted with incredible jewels, in particular there was a large red jewel in the middle of his chest. It appeared to be some sort of power source. But regardless, Goldar seemed to be even more powerful than any force they had ever reckoned with.

"Ha, ha, ha…" laughed Lord Zedd loudly, causing the ground to shake below him. "You should have quit while you were still ahead Pink Ranger. But, now it's too late and your honoree persistence has cost you your one true love's life…ha, ha, ha…"

Kimberly starred up at the three beasts, too shocked to react and too scared to let go of Tommy. She didn't care about revenge anymore. But soon, the Rangers gathered around her, creating a barrier between her and Tommy and the monsters. Kimberly was surprised to see that amidst her confusion Jason had assumed his Red Ranger powers and was now morphed.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Tommy!" threatened Jason to Lord Zedd.

"And who's going to make me?" questioned Lord Zedd with a mighty roar.

"We are!" answered Kira strongly.

Lord Zedd looked down at her slowly and along with Goldar and Rita, exploded with laughter.

"Ha!" screamed Rita; "you are all powerless against us!"

"We'll just have to see about that!" declared Jason, "Let's bring 'em together guys, We need Dinosaur power now!"

Everyone followed Jason's lead, a little shocked that he didn't wait for Zedd to grow twenty stories tall before calling on the gigantic machines. Raising their hands to the sky in unison the Rangers waited for their larger than life vehicles, but they never appeared.

"What's going on? Where are they?" shrieked Aisha.

"I don't know," responded Billy in complete confusion.

"You fools!" replied Lord Zedd, "My new powers are more powerful than any of you could ever imagine, do you think I would allow you to waste my time with those silly little robots?"

"He must have put some kind of block on our signal," announced Billy.

"Can he do that?" asked Conner.

"Well, he just did," answered Zack.

"What are we going to do?" questioned Katherine in terror.

"I don't know," replied Jason. "But what I do know is that we need Tommy."

All of the Rangers turned around to stare at the tragedy behind them. Kimberly hadn't budged, she continued to rock Tommy back in forth softly.

"Is he…you know?" asked Kira sadly; she gripped Trent's arm tightly.

"It's looking that way," replied Jason as he choked back his frustrations.

"No!" screamed Kimberly in a fit of rage, taking everyone by surprise. She starred up at her friends with bloodshot eyes in anger, "He's not dead, he's not! He can't be! He just can't be!" She slapped the ground fiercely with her fists causing nothing but loose soil to fly up a few inches. The realization of her weakness forced her to break down into sobs once again.

Zedd, Rita, and Goldar once again shook the ground with their evil snickers. Normally Lord Zedd would have already annihilated the Rangers, but he enjoyed seeing their agony and nothing pleased Rita more than to see Kimberly broken.

Everyone continued to stare at Kimberly for a moment. None of them felt it to be their place to attempt to bring comfort to her because it just wasn't possible. Eventually it was Conner who took the initiative and walked over to Kimberly slowly. He knelt down beside her and offered her a look of condolence but didn't speak a word. She looked back at him puzzled. She barely even knew who the kid was, what in the hell was he doing? But then he reached down to his belt and from it he pulled out a small reflective object, Tommy's power coin. His hands shook as he handed it to Kimberly. Graciously she took it from him and conveyed her appreciation with a simple, "Thank you." Conner nodded, stood up and resumed his place in between Kira and Ethan.

Kimberly held the coin tightly and then opened her hand. She starred at the coin for a long time and somehow became hypnotized by it. It held so many memories and more importantly it radiated so much energy; so much of Tommy. Finally Kimberly closed her hand once more and slowly but carefully eased Tommy off her lap. She made sure to place his head softly on the dirt and she arranged his arms so that he appeared comfortable. Next she leaned over him on her hands and knees and looked down into his handsome face. Her tears fell onto his cheeks but he didn't notice. Lowering her face down to Tommy, Kimberly kissed him gently on his warm, and surprising soft lips, and sweetly whispered "I love you," into his ear. Rising to her feet Kimberly was ready to finish what she had started.

"Let's do this guys," she mumbled as she stepped forward.

The Rangers stared at her bewildered but she paid no attention. Instead she cut through the group and made her way to the front.

"Okay Zedd, you want me gone? Why not make good on your promise?"

"Very courageous my dear but I never thought you to be so stupid," replied Lord Zedd as gigantic darts of rain began to fall at his command.

"Well, sometimes people can surprise you, " Kimberly shot back, as she clutched the power coin tightly behind her back.

"Alright then," began Zedd, "you asked for it so I suppose I will finish you off first!"

"Kimberly, No!" screamed Jason as he lunged to pull her back, but Billy and Zack wouldn't allow it. They knew that Kimberly had made her decision and her own fate was now in her own hands.

Lord Zedd raised his staff high into the air and Rita and Goldar mimicked his motion. A pyramid of light was created by the three and would eventually result in a blast much larger than was necessary to finish off the girl. At Lord Zedd's command the trio shifted their aim towards Kimberly and fired an amazing blow.

The beam shot at Kimberly quickly, but determined to succeed she reacted even faster. Kimberly pulled Tommy's power coin out from behind her back and extended it in front of her. The tiny gold coin shinned brightly with rays of white, green, red, and black, which were blinding to the human eye. Kimberly was forced to turn away but the Rangers were shielded by their visors. The coin reflected all of the evil energy away from Kimberly, but not without strain. Kimberly's body convulsed violently but she remained strong for she knew that this was what Tommy wanted.

In a rapid response Jason led his team of four to mimic Kimberly's gesture. It all occurred in a split second but the beam reflected off of Tommy's coin, then it hit Zack's coin, next it reached Katherine's coin, Aisha received it eagerly, and finally Jason redirected the beam back to Zedd, Rita, and Goldar. As the beam traveled from one Ranger to the next it collected energy and grew in size and vibrancy, and each Ranger was left powerless. By the time the energy was returned to Lord Zedd all five Rangers were nothing more than civilians. Each person dropped to the ground in exhaustion, barely able to stay conscious to watch the final destruction of Lord Zedd and Rita. It all happened so quickly, but in one spectacular show, the three monsters went up in flames like a wild fire, they never even had a chance.

Immediately the flames spread throughout the forest and the group of heroes were directly in the middle of it. Too tired and drained to save themselves they lay on the forest floor coughing and gasping for air, that is everyone but Kimberly who was motionless. Jason gestured for the Dino Rangers to help her but none of them saw him because they were too preoccupied with trying to contain the flame.

Charred and smoking, the forest smelled like a campfire. All of the flames were gone and the fire hadn't done too much damage. Conner, Kira, Ethan, and Trent stood tall, not out of pride but out of assurance to the other Rangers. Without a word Conner led his team towards their mentors and one by one everyone was tended to.

"Just leave me here for a few weeks and I'll be fine," choked Zack to Ethan as he helped him to sit up.

"Sorry man," replied Ethan, "it's not that easy. Rangers code of honor, you must help everyone."

"Especially a fellow Ranger," cut in Kira as she dusted Aisha off.

Aisha erupted into a coughing fit as she looked around the battlefield. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes when they finally settled on Kimberly. Her best friend was so still and so peaceful.

"Help her," whispered Aisha to anyone that was listening.

Jason was the first to respond feeling re-energized at the sight of Kimberly strewn across the debris. He made his way over to his friend and immediately checked for her vitals. Everyone waited in anticipation, but after a delayed response from Jason their hopes were pretty much shattered.

"Strange isn't it?" asked Conner dryly, "Do you suppose they're together now?"

Everyone understood what the Red Ranger had meant and the world seemed to go silent.

"I would imagine they are," said Katherine finally.

"Come on," began Billy in reverence, "we should get them out of here, it won't be long before the fire department shows up to make sure the fire's completely out."

Everyone silently agreed and rose slowly to their feet. Aisha and Katherine required assistance from Kira and Ethan to walk, while Trent and Conner set out to collect their fallen leader. Jason insisted on carrying Kimberly.

Just moments later everyone was interrupted by Conner's shouts, "Hey guys, where was it that Dr. O landed?"

"What do you mean?" yelled back Kira, "He's right over there!" she pointed towards a giant charred tree.

"He's not there!" returned Trent in confusion.

"I swear!" cursed Kira. "These boys are just so useless sometimes!" She braced Aisha against Ethan. "I'll be right back."

Kira jogged over to her friends in annoyance, shaking her head in disgust the whole way. When she finally reached them she began to understand their dilemma.

"He's gone," she announced puzzled.

"Gee Kira, nothing gets past you," replied Conner sarcastically.

"Hey cool it," said Trent in Kira's defense. "Billy!" he yelled, "Can you come over here, please!"

Billy made his way over to the teenagers as quickly as he could while the other's waited, wanting to know what the problem was but were too exhausted to investigate it themselves.

"Guys we really don't have time for this…" began Billy as he reached them but suddenly became silent. "Where's Tommy?"

"That's what we were hoping you could answer," replied Kira.

"He landed here, right?" questioned Billy.

"I thought so," answered Conner. Trent nodded in agreement.

Billy turned to his friends sheepishly, "Uh guys, I think we have a problem!"

"No, we don't," replied a voice.

Everyone shifted their gaze towards it, and were delighted to see that it was Tommy.

Tommy carefully pulled himself off the ground with the assistance of a sturdy tree trunk. He had been behind a bush halfway between the former Rangers and the current Rangers.

"But how…" began Katherine in utter relief.

"I have no idea what happened, one minute I was holding Kimberly in my arms and the next minute I saw Rita and Zedd go up in flames," Tommy rubbed his throbbing temples. "Then I tried to find Kim but it was impossible with all of the smoke."

"The white power coin," began Billy ignoring the mention of Kimberly's name, "it must have rejuvenated you in the process of destroying Zedd in Rita."

"I don't know," continued Tommy, "whatever it was, it was strange," He looked around at all of the familiar faces and found it difficult to pinpoint everyone considering the darkness, which had just set in completely.

"Where's Kim?" asked Tommy, allowing a small smile to spread across his face.

Everyone held their breath in terror; Tommy didn't know what had happened.

"I hate to break it to you man," started Billy, "but…"

Jason walked up to his friends slowly with Kimberly limp in his arms. He didn't say a word he just presented her to his best friend.

Tommy starred at her perplexed. At first he didn't quite comprehend what they were trying to tell him. He was so close to bliss that the idea of misfortune was just not something that he could understand right now.

"Give her to me," he snapped at Jason as he grabbed Kimberly from Jason's arms. "Don't ever try to scare me like that again!" he ordered.

"Tommy," cut in Katherine from across the way.

Tommy looked up towards her in the darkness. "What?" he asked dryly.

"I'm sorry," she said before allowing her emotions to overtake her.

Tommy was clearly in denial and all of the Rangers knew it but Tommy. He pretended not hear Katherine's sympathetic condolence, lowered Kimberly to the ground and rested her in his lap. Taking her head in his hand he raised her face to his and said, "Hey beautiful it's time to wake up."

But there was no response. He clenched his eyes shut tightly, positive that things would turn out okay. He opened his eyes and once again repeated the phrase, "Hey beautiful it's time to wake up."

But still there was nothing.

"I'm sorry, bro," interrupted Jason, "but she did it for you."

Tommy looked up at his best friend in disgust, "Is that supposed to make me feel better or something?"

Jason looked away trying to hide his tears, "Of course not, but I just thought you'd want to know that Kimberly loved you more than anything in this world, even more than her own life."

Tommy starred down at the ground, not bothering to conceal his emotions. "How?" he asked looking up at Jason, expecting a valid answer. "How? How did this all happen? How in the hell did everything happen!"

"I don't know man," replied Jason as he lowered himself down to his best friend and wrapped a brotherly arm around his shoulder. "I just don't know."

The forest was quiet and there was no sound but the sound of Tommy's pain. Soon the silence was broken by the faint scream of a siren in the distance.

"That's the fire department," announced Billy. "We better get out of here."

* * *

_I know, I know you are all calling me vicious and nasty names in your heads but you promised before you read this chapter that you would see this thing through, and I'm holding you to it. Please come back, I promise you will be satisfied with the ending._


	42. THE END

_HI EVERYONE! It's so nice to greet you all again, I know I've been a terrible writer lately and I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for that. But the good news is that you all get to find out what happend to Kimberly FINALLY! I know you can't wait to dig in but before you leave me I just wanted to truly thank you all for being so good to me. Even the bad reviews were helpful and of course I especially loved the good ones. But what meant the most to me was your loyalty, a girl couldn't ask for better readers, and I mean that. There were a few of you who deserve mountains of praise but I'll keep this short because I'm sure you all know who you are. I told youguys before that I would be starting a new fic, totally unrelated to this one but aTommy/Kim and I still have high hopes of doing so. I can't promise anything but if you see my name in the futurethen please check it out. So long my precious readers, I love you all!_

_P.S. A special thanks to you Miss Gina, I never could have done it without you, I think everyone else should thank you too for always pushing me to finish!_

* * *

Dr. Thomas Oliver sat perplexed and utterly stunned as he watched the silent commotion unravel throughout his basement. The tears had all been cried and the rage had been exhausted out of him hours ago. Now he remained still, sitting on the steps of his command center. He sat patiently; focusing on the cot in the middle of the room where Aisha washed Kimberly's face gently with a gray washcloth that used to be as white as snow. Kimberly was starting to look human again, and now that Tommy could actually see her face free of the dirt, blood, and debris he began to feel something again. It wasn't a good feeling though, in fact it was a very bad feeling, but at least it was something. It was the feeling of regret. But what did he have to be regretful of? He hadn't been the one that dragged Kimberly into this mess and he hadn't been the one that told her to use the white power coin to destroy Lord Zedd and his evil minions. At least she knew that he loved her and as horrible as it sounded he finally knew that she loved him. In fact she had made the ultimate sacrifice for him. If nothing else, he at least had that.

Soon Tommy became distracted as Jason rose from his seat next to Billy across the room; bandaged and bruised. He began to walk towards his best friend slowly, but to Tommy it appeared as though he was moving in slow motion. Tommy somehow found himself enamored with the motion of Jason's feet. He could see the white sneakers hit the floor purposefully but he couldn't hear the actual footsteps. Tommy next realized that he couldn't hear anything at all. Shifting his gaze up he saw the water drip from the rag in Aisha's hand, but no sound. Next to Aisha, Kira and Katherine spoke solemnly, comforting each other kindly, but Tommy couldn't hear their whispers. Behind them, Billy and Haley fidgeted restlessly with the computers, knowing full well that their efforts would go unrewarded, but neither of them could stand to be a part of the grief. Tommy never heard the click of Billy's fingers running over the keyboard. Beside them Conner, Trent, Ethan, and Zack stood discussing something, but Tommy couldn't make out exactly what. Every now and then they took turns glancing at Tommy, and eventually shook their heads sadly.

Tommy didn't need their pity and he didn't want it. What he wanted and desperately needed was for the small angel in the middle of the room to open her eyes and smile at him, just once more. But he knew that was impossible. He couldn't remember anything after entering the command center earlier, and nothing before his revelation of deafness. But somehow he knew; he knew that he would never see those hypnotic hazel brown eyes again and he missed them already.

Jason finally reached Tommy, starring down at him awkwardly. Tommy starred back up at him, making no efforts to rise from the stairs. Jason sank down to Tommy's level, starring him strait in the eye, and began to speak. As his mouth moved slowly, Tommy was relieved that he couldn't hear his best friend's words. But he knew what they were and he knew what was coming. Struggling, Tommy strained to turn his head away, not wanting to see that phrase on Jason's lips. Breaking into a sweat, Tommy fought to move but he was paralyzed, not even his eyelids would blink. Clearly and almost hatefully Jason's lips molded into the words Tommy dreaded more than any other words in the English language, "I'm sorry Tommy," they said, "but Kimberly is dead…"

* * *

Drenched in sweat, Tommy gasped for air as he sat up from the deep sleep. His heart pumped so fast that it hurt. As his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness he focused his attention on the floating neon green numbers on the nightstand. The clock read 3:37, he had only been asleep for ten minutes and already he was sopping wet. This scenario seemed so familiar to him, and rightfully so for he had experienced it at least five times already that night, and countless times many nights before.

The exact same dream had been haunting Tommy every night for the past three weeks, two days, one hour, and roughly ten minutes since it had all happened. Each time it played out exactly the same way, just like clockwork, and each time he would pull himself awake but not in enough time to avoid the most painful part. The dream had become quite draining for Tommy. Every morning he awoke feeling as if he had never even hit the pillow the night before. He faked his way through his class lectures just going through the motions and pretty much reading the textbook out loud to the students. Battles with Mesogog's drones were like a play and he was a member of the audience. He wasn't the leader he knew he once was and he wasn't the man he knew that he should be. But who could blame him? Of course Tommy's disturbing change in behavior did not go unnoticed by his faithful team of Rangers but he didn't feel it their business to know about the dreams. They were personal, private, and sickeningly realistic.

Feeling thirsty and quite frankly a little nauseous, Tommy rose from his bed tossing the black comforter aside. Slowly Tommy made his way to the door and without noticing he went down the stairs, through the living room and entered the kitchen. It wasn't until the bright light of the refrigerator shocked him into reality that Tommy realized he was no longer in his room. Shaking off the hypnotic trance Tommy grabbed the half-drunken bottle of Sprite from the top shelf of the refrigerator. He twisted the top off easily expecting to hear the effervescence escape with a sigh, but he barely heard the cap fall to the floor. Taking a gigantic gulp Tommy was disgusted to find that the Sprite had gone flat. Thinking back he couldn't even remember the last time that he had drank from the bottle. For all he knew it could have been there for weeks, maybe even before IT happened.

"It", was the name he had given the events, which had effected his life drastically three weeks before. It was like his life hadn't changed one bit yet it felt so unfamiliar. He was still a science teacher at Reefside High, he was still the Black Dino Thunder Ranger, and as hard as it was to believe right now Kimberly was still in fact very much alive.

* * *

Tommy entered the command center with Kimberly in his arms. The walk back from the battleground was a confusing one. Tommy played the events of the past few days in his head over and over again looking for some kind of loop hole, trying to pinpoint exactly where he had gone wrong and where he could have prevented the whole tragedy from ever even happening. However, the more he searched the more clueless he became, but it was no matter now because Lord Zedd and Rita were finally dead and above all he was still Dr. Thomas Oliver, the greatest Power Ranger there ever was. Sure it was vain and pompous but he knew it was true, he had to believe it was true.

Not stopping to even acknowledge Haley, Tommy headed strait for the table in the middle of the room, which Haley had already prepared for Kimberly. Setting Kimberly down gently but swiftly Tommy immediately began spouting orders.

"Jason, Billy, Zack, Aisha, and Kat, you guys join me please."

Kira, Conner, Trent, and Ethan groaned silently to themselves as they shifted directions and assisted their mentors to the middle of the room.

"Form a circle," ordered Tommy without looking up as he arranged Kimberly across the table.

No one bothered to question their leader's orders but were very doubtful. Looking to Jason for answers the Rangers starred at the man in red. Jason nodded his head indicating that they should fallow Tommy's command. Jason was very pessimistic about Tommy's intentions but he knew that Tommy never gave up, and even if this tactic failed at least Tommy could live with himself knowing that he tried.

Quickly the circle was formed around the small woman and without any further delay, Tommy explained his intentions.

"You guys remember that time Zordon infused me with his energy so I could maintain the Green Ranger powers?"

Everyone shook their heads in unison even though Kat and Aisha weren't there for the occasion, but they had been reminded of the instance many times in the past.

"Well, we're going to do the same for Kimberly," finished Tommy with a clever grin.

It was so heartbreaking to see him so optimistic when all hope was lost back at the clearing.

"Tommy," interrupted Jason softly, not really wanting to bust his best friend's bubble. "I don't know if you noticed this or not but we all lost our powers during the destruction of Zedd and Rita."

"It's true," confirmed Billy humbly.

Tommy starred at his friends in disbelief; he couldn't believe how quickly they were willing to throw in the towel.

"I don't care," he finally declared, "we don't need fancy suits and shinny helmets to save Kimberly. You said it yourself earlier Billy, the power is inside each one of us."

Billy swallowed hard, for once wishing he hadn't been the smart guy. "Um, that's true Tommy, but we used up all of our powers in the battle. It would take years for enough energy to accumulate to even try to bring Kimberly back."

"What about the dino gem's?" interrupted Kira, breaking the mandatory silence which the Dino Rangers had been expected to adhere to.

"They'd never work," replied Haley, "they're not in any way connected to Kimberly."

"But she used the Black Dino gem," added Trent.

"Yeah," replied Haley, "but it just isn't enough, and none of your powers were ever connected to her."

Tommy shook his head in irritation. "Just shut up everyone! You are all just wasting valuable time, now come on-"

He was cut off instantly with the sound of the alarm. Haley was already at the control panel tracking the disturbance.

"It's Mesogog," she announced, "he's sent tyranodrones to the power plant, it looks like they're looking to tamper with the city's power supply."

Tommy appeared unfazed by the news. "Kira, Conner, Ethan, Trent, you guys go take care of those goons. I'll be along later if you need me."

Hesitating, the Rangers finally bit their tongues and raced for their motorcycles.

"Alright," declared Tommy, "let's bring her back guys.

The Rangers limped and struggled to position themselves equidistant from the person next to them. Tommy stroked Kimberly's cheek sweetly.

"Hang on Beautiful, were coming for you."

Tears spilled from Aisha's and Katherine's eyes as they stared at Tommy. It seemed so impossible, but Tommy was right. They had never given up before, why in the hell start now?

"Okay guys," broke in Aisha suddenly as she smiled at Tommy, "I don't know about you but I'm ready to get my best friend back." She winked at Tommy who returned the gesture with a smile.

"Me too," confirmed Jason with a grin.

The other Rangers nodded in accordance and everyone raised their hands high into the air and connected palms with the friend next to them. Closing their eyes the Rangers prepared to exhaust every resource necessary to save their friend. But then another voice broke in. It was Conner from the battle site, his plea echoed through the speakers and into the command center.

"Dr. O, we need you," begged the young Red Ranger, "Elsa's here along with a three headed monster who apparently has the ability to freeze things, Kira mainly."

Tommy flinched at the alarming news but shook it off impatiently as he squeezed his eyes shut tighter. Haley understood Tommy's gesture and answered Conner's call.

"You're going to have to hold out a little longer Conner," she said, "Dr. O will be along as soon as he can." Conner just responded with a sigh.

Focusing their attention back to the problem at hand the six adults resumed their positions and began to search. They searched long and hard within themselves, desperately seeking any last drop of power that might help their cause. Eventually, multicolored bolts of light began to erupt from the humans as they collected what was left, but was it enough? The room glowed with such intensity that Haley had to cover her eyes and alarms rang off throughout the command center indicating an overheating. But neither of them could be deterred. Soon Conner's voice broke in again,

"Dr. O I've lost Ethan and Trent too. I just can't do this alone, there's too many of them. I need help, please!"

Tommy heard Conner but he pushed the young man's voice to the back of his head. Mesogog just was not his greatest concern right now and after all he'd been through kicking some tyranodrone ass was sounding like a piece of cake. He just had to finish what he had started.

"We're almost there guys," he urged. "Come on, we can do this!"

In unison the heroes forced themselves to push harder than they had ever thought possible, and soon the power gathered into a radiating mass hovering above Kimberly. With one final force the Rangers released their hold and the gigantic mass of energy dropped on Kimberly with incredible impact. She gasped as life entered her body once again, but her eyes remained closed. Billy and Haley rushed around preparing the medical equipment necessary to sustain Kimberly long enough for her to recover completely. Katherine and Aisha hugged in relief, while Jason tended to Kimberly immediately. Tommy starred down at Kimberly one more time.

"I knew you'd never leave me, Beautiful," he said before digging deep down into his pants pocket and pulling out the black Dino Gem.

"Dino thunder, power up, ha!"

* * *

Tommy poured the remainder of the bottle of Sprite into the sink and tossed the empty bottle into the trashcan; he missed it. At first Tommy really didn't care, in fact looking around the kitchen it appeared that he hadn't cared for quite sometime. Rancid milk sat in a plastic jug next to a half-eaten stale box of cheerios. A banana peal as well as several more pieces of garbage occupied the space on the floor. The sink was surprisingly clean but after slight observation Tommy realized that it was because he had never even bothered to bring the dirty dishes to the sink. Instead they littered the kitchen table, the counter, and even the top of the refrigerator. The microwave was splattered with spaghetti sauce which he had forgotten all about one evening while thinking about Kim. He never even realized it until the next morning when he opened the microwave door to heat up some water for his instant coffee, which he despised. But now staring at the red design his attention was shifted from what was on the door to what was reflected in the door. Tommy rubbed his hand over his chin, it was covered in stubble, and in fact it was bordering on a beard. Beards were never quite Tommy's thing and he cringed in disgust, how could he have let himself get this bad?

"Forget it," he groaned as he turned around and headed back up the stairs not wanting to deal with the mess right now.

He didn't really want to go back to sleep either because for him sleep was merely a portal into his nightmare. But why did the dream continue to haunt him so? It wasn't like it was real; he just really hated the man in the dream; himself. In actuality he hadn't been the pathetic passive weakling as portrayed in his vision, in fact he had been the complete opposite. It was he who had been responsible for Kimberly's survival. So why did he feel so guilty? And could it be that the man he saw in his dreams was in fact an accurate depiction of himself at this very moment? It's true, Tommy had saved the day, rescuing Kimberly for the hundredth time, and then he topped it all off by once again putting Mesogog and his crew in their place. These were by no means the accomplishments of a failure, but it was the events that followed the victories that plagued Tommy.

The battle with Mesogog's henchmen was a surprisingly close call for the Dino Rangers. It seemed that all that time that Mesogog was quiet was not due to the fact that he feared the evil Pink Ranger or Lord Zedd. Instead he took the opportunity to strengthen his army, creating more tyranodrones, tougher monsters, and even a new weapon for Elsa. He undoubtedly figured that the Rangers would be so exhausted from the past few days that they would most definitely meet their doom. How wrong he was, though. Tommy, had actually fought most of the battle on his own due to the fact that the rest of his team was frozen solid, courtesy of Mesogog's latest creation. Looking back on it Tommy had no idea how he managed to defeat dozens of Tyranodrones, three monsters, and Elsa all in one day and at times all at the same time! The answer was easy though, for he had been so thrilled by Kimberly's awakening that nothing could have stopped him.

With that in mind it wasn't difficult to understand why Tommy was now starting to believe that he was wretched and weak, this was because he hadn't seen Kimberly since she took that first gasp of air back in the command center. During Tommy's eternal battle against Mesogog's forces his friends naturally took it upon themselves to see that Kimberly made a full recovery. The minute she was strong enough to make the journey they transported her to Reefside Hospital where she was examined and not long after was relocated to Angel Grove Hospital. Reefside Hospital definitely had an issue with overcrowding, especially when a monster attacked. It just wasn't practical for them to give up a bed to Kimberly when she could receive better attention in Angel Grove.

Tommy was heartbroken when he had finally made it back to the command center only to find Haley there. She had explained the situation to him and had urged him to hop in his jeep and race to Kimberly's side at that very moment. He had definitely considered it but for some reason he just couldn't bring himself to actually do it. He hadn't forgotten about the revelations that Kimberly and he had shared with each other, but he also had to wonder just how genuine they were. Sure it's easy to say you love someone, especially when you may never see them again. Of course he had meant every word he had uttered, but had Kimberly? It was true that she had sacrificed herself for him on more than one occasion but that was pretty much a part of the Ranger's code of honor.

Tommy figured that Kimberly was probably having a hard enough time right now during her recovery. The amount of power that she consumed in such a short period of time was unheard of. He knew what it was like and he knew that the side affects took time to wear off. He didn't want to bother her with his endless infatuation because it would only make adjusting more difficult for her. He had promised himself that he would give her a month to recuperate and then maybe, just maybe then he would approach her. But as the days passed he became more and more doubtful that he would ever find the life he had hoped for because Kimberly had not once bothered to contact him.

He guessed that was why he kept having that stupid reoccurring dream. He was letting her slip away now at this very moment just as he had let her slip away in the dream. He felt almost as if she were dead to him now, and what was worse was the fact that he wasn't doing a damn thing to try and pull her back. It was funny how things could make so much sense in the middle of the night.

Tommy entered his room and turned the corner sharply without hesitation. Flicking the light on with his right hand, he reached for his razor with his left hand.

* * *

Kimberly entered the familiar room cautiously; relieved to discover that the Youth Center was buzzing with the typical relaxed teenagers that usually inhabited it on Saturday mornings. They would definitely make this much easier for her. Kimberly had returned to work at Angel Grove High at the beginning of the week. When she had first called Mr. Caplin to explain her leave of absence and to request a couple more weeks off he was not at all pleased. But when she told him she was calling from the hospital he was so concerned that he told her she could take as much time off as she needed, and he didn't even request proof from her doctor.

Kimberly's doctor had been a very nice man; he was older and very knowledgeable. She had been diagnosed with nothing more than exhaustion, and of course the cuts and bruises. The doctor had made a big deal about them and began to hint at the suspicion that she was involved in an abusive relationship. He even had the nurse give her pamphlets on abuse prevention. But, Aisha and Katherine assured the physician that, that simply was not the case and everyone stuck with the story that Kimberly had merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Eventually the doctor came around.

Focusing on the commotion surrounding her Kimberly spotted a couple of her favorite students sitting at the table across the room and standing in front of them was the whole reason why she had avoided the Youth Center all week, Skull. He took the kids' orders, delivering what looked to be an absolutely hilarious joke; even Bulk laughed from behind the juice bar. But once Bulk spotted her the fun was over. He quickly became silent as he gestured towards her to Skull. Skull turned around and the moment he spotted her the smile quickly erased from his face. Handing the order to Bulk he attempted to casually meet up with Kimberly on the other side of the bar.

He had been dreading this moment just as much as Kimberly; in fact more. Their date had ended on a sour note and when she stopped coming in every morning he was heartbroken. He now realized that she would never return his affections but he still wanted her to be a part of his life, even if it was just a small part like a friend. At least a week had passed before someone clued him in on Kimberly's absence from school, and after some investigating he discovered that she had been "ill." At least that's what Mr. Caplin called it. Skull knew it probably wasn't his place but he sent the women a dozen pink roses anyway. And although Kimberly had been disappointed to discover that they had not been sent by Tommy like she had hoped, she was still very touched by Skull's gesture.

Kimberly and Skull silently took a seat next to each other, and saying nothing they turned to one another. Tears welled up in Kimberly's eyes as she could see the hurt in Skull's face. She knew why too, it wasn't because she had avoided him for so long and it wasn't because their date had ended horribly. It was because he now understood that they would never be.

Kimberly quickly kissed Skull on the cheek and locked him in a truly heartfelt hug. She could feel the eyes of the kids watching them but she didn't care. Skull returned her embrace and once the couple parted they both broke out in chuckles.

"So we're okay?" asked Skull sheepishly, avoiding Kimberly's eyes.

"Yeah, we're okay," confirmed Kimberly still smiling. "Although…" she began.

Skull's eyes darted up, staring at her curiously, "What?"

"I really don't deserve a friend like you," she replied seriously, "and I really mean it this time."

Skull made no attempt to interrupt her; he definitely wanted to hear what she had to say.

"I realize that I haven't been myself lately," she continued, "but you haven't changed a bit through all of it, and I love you for that."

Skull said nothing; he just smiled and blushed profusely.

"And the flowers were beautiful, too," added Kimberly with a giggle.

"Only the best for you," replied Skull, rising from his seat and planting a kiss on Kimberly's cheek before returning to his place behind the counter. "Now, what will it be?" he asked reaching for a pink glass behind him.

"You know what I like," replied Kimberly cheerfully.

"One strawberry smoothie coming up," declared Skull as he turned around and began to prepare the drink.

Once Kimberly received her smoothie and Skull had wandered off to challenge some kid to a video game, she was left alone at the juice bar. She quickly reached in her designer tote bag and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. Hesitantly she began to scribble words and hoped that somehow they would miraculously begin to make sense. But it seemed no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't focus. Letter writing had never been her strong suite and although she had been trying to compose the letter since she woke up in Angel Grove Hospital the words just weren't coming. Finally deciding that there were too many distractions in the Youth Center Kimberly stood up, offered a friendly wave to Skull and headed for the door.

Kimberly decided that this matter required careful attention and inspiration, so she headed for one of her favorite spots in the park, on the lakeshore. She plopped down on the sand carelessly, not afraid to ruin her blue jeans, but leaned against the tree softly hoping she wouldn't find tree sap on her pink tank top when she went to do her laundry the next day. Before pulling out her paper and pen again Kimberly made sure she was comfortable and let down her hair from the messy knot she had been wearing on her head. She was stalling as long as she could to avoid writing the letter; it had been extremely difficult for her.

There were so many times that Kimberly just wanted to pick up the phone and dial Tommy's number but she didn't even know what it was. It wouldn't have been difficult to get it from Jason, but she just felt like if Tommy wanted to talk to her then he would have made the effort to contact her. That was why she had been working painstakingly hard on the letter. How do you write I love you on a piece of paper and make it look like words that have never been uttered before? That's how she felt about Tommy, she felt like the love she had for him was unlike any other love that anyone had ever experienced in the entire universe. She feared that he did not share the same feelings for her but at this point she was willing to put everything on the line as long as Tommy knew that she really did love him more than life itself.

Once again Kimberly's pen took flight and after a while frustration got the better of her. Sighing in disgust she hurled the pen and paper down to the sand next to her. A small cloud of dust rose and fell to the ground as Kimberly pulled her knees to her chest and huffed. She was officially incapable of writing the letter but as difficult as it was, it was still easier than trying to do it face to face.

"You know letters really don't become you," said a voice from a ways off.

Kimberly turned her head towards it in surprise as she found the biggest surprise of them all, Dr. Tommy Oliver. He stood tall in his old worn jeans and black polo shirt. His face was cleanly shaven and although he had monstrous circles under his eyes he was still breathtakingly handsome. Kimberly gasped immediately and then froze. Tommy looked at her questioningly.

"I guess I should have called first," he began as he started to turn away, "I'm sorry, I can come back later-"

Before he could finish what he was trying to say Kimberly had sprung up from her seat on the sand and rushed towards Tommy. The moment she reached him she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck with no intention of ever letting him go. Tommy was shocked beyond belief at her welcome because he had come expecting the worst, but not wanting to waste a split second of this moment on his shortcomings he embraced her with welcoming arms. The two hugged for quite sometime, never once speaking a word, with every second their grips grew tighter and tighter. Soon they could hardly stand it anymore and it was time for the truth to come out. Releasing Tommy slowly, Kimberly drew back her arms and picking up on her signal Tommy also let go. But, he wasn't going to risk her running off so he made sure to hold on to both of her tiny hands inside of his.

Kimberly looked down at her hands interlocked with Tommy's; there had been a time when it had been as natural as breathing. Now she felt like she couldn't even breathe, but she certainly couldn't stop smiling. Finally gazing up into Tommy's deep brown eyes Kimberly spoke,

"Tommy…" she began, rushed and short of breath. "Tommy, I…" she said realizing that she was about to lay it all out on the table, with the possibility of walking away with a broken heart that could never be mended for as long as she lived.

"Kimberly, I love you," blurted out Tommy with no hesitation, not caring if he so rudely interrupted her.

"What?" asked Kimberly, stunned at the man's declaration.

"I said I love you," replied Tommy sincerely as he raised her small hand up to his lips, gently unfolded it, planted a soft, sweet kiss in her palm and then closed her hand again.

Kimberly stared up at him deeply, praying to God that this wasn't a dream.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked as tears once again welled up in her eyes for the second time that day.

"I've never been so sure about anything else in my life," answered Tommy confidently as he cupped her chin in his fingers.

"Because I love you too," declared Kimberly with excitement.

"Are you sure you really mean that?" questioned Tommy, in need of verification.

"I've never been so sure about anything else in my life either," repeated Kimberly eagerly, as her voice became muffled with giggles.

Tommy lowered his face down to hers, tilting her head up to his, with their lips only an inch apart, he said, "I can't live without you any longer, Kimberly. I need you," he trailed off into a whisper as he couldn't keep his mouth away from hers any longer.

He had to taste her and feel her breath inside of him. The couple kissed passionately with no reserves; their ferocity not even coming close to comparing to the kisses they shared in Tommy's bedroom weeks before. This kiss was different, it was real, and it was undoubtedly a kiss of true love. Finally Kimberly was able to gather the strength to tear herself away from Tommy, but only for a moment.

"I need you too, Tommy," she said hurriedly as he once again invaded her mouth, forbidding her to breath without him.

_The End_


End file.
